6*2 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



pores, and the sulphuric acid of the gypsum leaves the lime, 

 and like the free aeid, combines with the ammonia, forming 

 sulphate of ammonia, an inodorous and powerful fertilizer. 

 Raw peat, turf, dry tan bark, saw-dust and ashes are all good; 

 hut as more bulk is needed to effect the object their use is 

 attended with greater inconvenience. From its great ten- 

 dency to decompose, night soil should be immediately covered 

 with earth when exposed to the air. It is always saved by the 

 Flemings and Chinese, the former generally using it liquid, 

 and the latter either as a liquid or mixed with clay and dried 

 like brick. 



The use of this manure effectually prevents the propaga- 

 tion of all weeds. Its value like all others, depend much on 

 the food from which it is derived. 



THE EXCREMENTS OF FOWLS. 



These contain both the fceces and urine combined, and are 

 next to night soil in value. They should be mixed at once 

 with the soil, or with a compost where its volatile matters will 

 be retained. They are very soluble and when exposed to 

 moisture, are liable to waste. 



FLESH, BLOOD, &c. 



When decompossoVthcse substances afford all the materials 

 of manure in its most condensed form. Whenever procure- 

 able, they should be mixed with 8 or 10 times their weight 

 of dry peat, turf, tan bark or rich garden mould. A dead 

 cow or horse thus buried in a bed of peat, will yield 10 or 15 

 loads of the richest manure. Butchers offal will give 2-3 

 times its weight of more valuable manure than any from his 

 cattle yards. 



HAIR, HORNS, HOOFS, PELTS, WOOLEN RAGS, AND THE 

 FLOCKS, AND WASTE OF WOOLEN MANUFACTORIES 



Arc rich in every organic substance required by plants, 



and when mingled with the soil they gradually yield thorn, 



and afford a permanent and luxuriant growth to every 



Cultivated crop. All animal substances contain about 15 or 



cent of nitrogen. 



FISH. 



Fish are extensively used in this and other countries for ma- 

 nure. The moss-banker, alewives or bony fish frequent 

 the Atlantic coast in countless numbers in the spring, and are 

 there caught in seines, and sold to the farmers by the wagon 

 load. They are sometimes plowed into the soil with a spring 



