Vlll EDITORS PREFACE. 



sooner or later, when the subsoil becomes exhausted, 

 and the surface soil having no longer a reservoir fi-om 

 which to draw supplies by means of fodder plants, is 

 also unable to bear remunerative crops. This natural 

 progress of the system of farm-yard manuring is fully 

 discussed in chapter fifth. The reader must not suppose 

 that the condemnation passed on the system of farm-yard 

 manuring is meant to apply to farm-yard manure itself 

 The latter is tlie type of a valuable manure which cannot 

 be replaced in every respect by any artificial mixtures 

 in use. The remarks of the author only apply to the 

 fallacious hopes entertained of keeping up permanently 

 the fertility of the soil by manure obtained by the 

 system of rotation, whilst we continue still to sell the 

 corn raised by such manure without bringing back to 

 the soil any portion of the mineral matter sold with 

 the corn and cattle. 



The excrements of man contain all the mineral matter 

 not only of the corn, but also of the cattle sold from 

 the land. Could we restore these excrements to the 

 soil, a perfect ckculation of the conditions of life for 

 plants and animals would be estabhshed, and our fields 

 would be retained in a permanent state of fertihty. 

 This problem has been solved by the Chinese and 

 Japanese. Chinese rural life, as it is described by 

 travellers, as well as the report of the Japanese system 

 of husbandry given in Appendix CI. by Dr. Maron, 

 would scarcely lead us to wish for the improvement 

 of agriculture upon the plan of these Orientals ! The 

 requirements of modern civilisation would not permit 



