Manures and Manuring 153 



fertilizer for all well-worked soils, and may be regarded as specially 

 valuable for Potatoes, Cabbage crops, Vines, and fruit. 



Night Soil and Poudrette. Human excreta are rich in fertilizing 

 substances, and their value as manures was more highly appreciated before 

 the general adoption of the water closet and sewage systems. Even to-day 

 the Chinese and Japanese gardeners, who achieve such marvellous results, 

 have the highest respect for night soil as a fertilizer. On the Continent 

 also it is valued as a manure; and under the pretty name of "poudrette" 

 it is found mixed with gypsum, ashes, earth, peat, sawdust, &c., to mask the 

 smell. Some market growers of flowers now use night soil for purposes of 

 liquid manure. 



Closely associated with night soil is the " native guano " obtained from 

 the precipitated solids in sewage beds. It is mixed with various things, 

 such as alum, charcoal, &c., and is sold in a dried state. A ton of it con- 

 tains from 20 to 40 Ib. of nitrogen, 60 to 120 Ib. phosphate of lime, and 

 about 50 to 100 Ib. of alkalis of potash, soda, and magnesia. If too many 

 poisonous chemicals have not been used at the sewage works, native guano 

 is worth using as a topdressing at the rate of \ ton to the acre. 



Rape Cake and Rape Dust. Rape cake is largely used by some agri- 

 culturists not only as a manure but also as a wireworm catcher. Rape cake 

 contains a certain amount of oil, but of late years this has been almost 

 entirely extracted, and the cake is made up into the form of meal. As a 

 manure it is chiefly valuable for its nitrogen, 1 ton containing about 100 Ib. 

 There are also smaller quantities of phosphates, potash, and lime present, 

 thus making rape cake and rape dust a complete if not very rich manure. 

 It is useful as a topdressing at the rate of \ ton to the acre; or it may 

 be dug or hoed in. 



Malt Dust OP Kiln Dust. This is obtained from malt houses and 

 consists of the dried rootlets and shoots that have been screened from the 

 kilned malt. Malt dust is a very useful organic manure, and may be 

 regarded as a complete fertilizer. It is excellent as a topdressing at the 

 rate of 30 or 40 bus. to the acre, particularly during hot, dry summers. 

 The ash is rich in phosphates (25 per cent) and in potash (30 per cent), but 

 contains little lime (3 per cent). The market price of malt dust varies from 

 35s. to 60s. per ton. 



Wool and Shoddy. Pieces of woollen cloth and shredded portions 

 called shoddy are valuable organic manures, being chiefly valued for their 

 nitrogen. This varies from 2 to 13 per cent, according to the purity of the 

 wool from which the shoddy is obtained. As it liberates its nitrogen 

 slowly, shoddy is regarded as a good manure for Hops, Vines, Roses, &c. 

 Besides wool and shoddy all waste cloth refuse might be converted into 

 a manure. It should be placed in layers and covered with soil, and when 

 thoroughly decayed may be spread over the soil as a topdressing. The 

 soil prevents the escape of any ammonia gas generated in the process of 

 decomposition. 



Hair, Feathers, Skin, Leather Waste, Greaves may be associated 



