150 ON THE FOOD Of PLANTS. 



the land as it is produced, as stated by Sir Hf^ 

 Davy to be the case with Mr. Coke, may be 

 accounted for, as arising from the urine absorbed 

 by the Utter, which, if left in the usual way, 

 spread in an open yard, would have been wasted 

 and lost.* 



* Whilst recommending the careful and effectual drain- 

 ing of stables, for the preservation of the urine, as the most 

 valuable part of animal manure, I will also state a circum- 

 stance, which cannot be thought unworthy of notice to 

 agriculturists, which occurred to me, to show how neces- 

 sary this is also to the health of animals. 



I took possession of some stables, with the horses that 

 had been some time kept in them, and, to my misfortune, 

 in a very short time I found that the horses kept in those 

 stables had been subject to that dreadful disease, called 

 the mad staggers, for several years. Some horses had 

 died, and the horses then there, and which had been for 

 some time kept in the stables, were in wretched condition. 

 Two fine fresh horses which were put into them, were 

 within a few months seized with the mad staggers, and 

 one of them literally killed himself by knocking his head 

 about against the manger and stall ; the other was 

 saved by copious bleeding, and removal into a fresh stable, 

 but was so reduced as to be lessened in value one- 

 half. My neighbours advised the pulling down the stables, 

 considering the disease infectious ; but having, on going into 

 the stables early in the morning, been almost suffocated 

 and blinded by obnoxious gas ; I examined the floor and 

 drains, when I found the former to consist of large burr 

 stones, laid on a stiff clay ; and the floor sunk so low below 

 the drain, as not to admit of the draining away of the urine. 

 This^ struck me to be a sufiicient cause to affect the brain of 



