212 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



into an earthen jar, with a light cover thereon, and burned 

 it in a Poier's kiln. 



Sulphur is also found to be nearly as efficacious, as a ma 

 nure, as it is tor expeling insects. 



Pulverized stonecoal, says Mr. Muhlenberg, is a good 

 manure for most soils. Four hundred pounds are sufficient 

 for an acre. Pulverized charcoal is also good; and the 

 same may be said of pulverized slate, limestone, and shells 

 of shellfish. The latter are also good to be ploughed in 

 whole, in a dry soil, for the purpose of increasing its 

 moisture. 



Burnt-clay, good for cold stiff soils. 

 See BURNT-CLAY, and BURNBAKING. 



Every part ot animal substances may be converted into 

 good manure. The flesh, in decomposing, discloses abun- 

 dance of azote and miasma; and some of the constituent 

 parts of blood are alkaline and sea- salts, oil, air, water, Sec. 

 all of which are essentially the lood of plants. The bones, 

 when powdered, are good as a top dressing ; and even the 

 shavings of the horns, and of the hide when curried, are 

 good in composts, or when buried in light soils. The flesh 

 should be spread over the ground, and ploughed in imme- 

 diately. The blood is best used in composts. 



Of vegetable manures, those which are either ploughed 

 down for green-dressings, or are otherwise buried in the 

 earth while green, are much more efficacious than when 

 dried, especially if long exposed to the weather. 

 See GREEN-DRESSING 



Such may, however, be useful when brought into Cow- 

 yards, and there mixed with the dung of the cattle, by 

 which means they absorb much ot the stale and juices of 

 the excrements, which would otherwise be lost. For this 

 purpose, almost every kind of plant, whether green or dry, 

 is more or less useful. 



Of the contents of the barn-yard, Horse-dung is the 

 worst, and Sheep dung is much the best, as a manure. If 

 the former be suffered to lie long in a heap, it will be 

 spoiled by its own heat, which is to be known by its white 

 mouldy appearance, and therefore should be applied to the 

 soil as soon as possible. It is most suitable for cold, wet, 

 and stiff soils; and the same may be observed of Sheep- 

 dung, though this will greatly assist any soil. Cow-dung is 

 best for light or dry soils. 



Every kind of barn-dung is much injured by being suf- 

 fered to lie exposed to the rains; and therefore should be 

 kept as much under cover as possible. It should be carted 

 out in the Spring, and immediately buried in the soil for a 

 crop of Indian corn or potatoes, ip order that the seeds of 

 weeds which it contains may be destroyed by ihc koines 



