FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 225 



But, if the case be reversed, by the land being deficient 

 in affording the greatest products, the prices of these, and 

 of the land, sufficiently high, and the wages of Laborers 

 moderate; there a proportionately increased expenditure, 

 in manuring the land, will be found essentially requisite, 

 for obtaining the greatest clear profiis. 



A sound discretion is indeed essential, in determining 

 how much may be expended, to advantage, in manuring 

 lands ; but, generally speaking, much is lost in failing short 

 of that point where, by the aid of plentiful manuring, the 

 greatest profits are to be expected. 



See further, STERCORARY, lor the means of making the 

 most of barn- dung. 



This manure, in its crude state particularly, should 

 always be buried to a good depth in the soil ; and in this 

 state should remain there till it has sufficiently roted \ tor 

 by lying upon, or too near, the surface, much of its efficacy 

 seems to be lost by evaporation. While the valuable quali- 

 ties of some manures, such as salts of various kinds, are 

 constantly sinking into the earth, the contrary, in a great 

 measure, seems to be the case with barn-dung. 



Old graveyards, where the Dead lie closely intered, are 

 always remarkable for their fertility : The miasma produced 

 from the putrefying matter, though laid at a great depth, is 

 constantly rising, and of course enriching the surface; and 

 such, to a certain extent, would seem to be the case with 

 barn-dung, while in a decomposing state. 



Mr. Peters observes, however, that grass-crops are an 

 exception to the general rule, of deriving most benefit from 

 barn-dung when well buried; as he has always found ibis 

 manure, like all others, most efficacious in the growth of 

 grasses, when used as a top-dressing. 



It would seem that, for crops of this description, its effi- 

 cacy is principally in serving as a covering to the ground, 

 and thereby preventing the escape of moisture, wiiich is 

 more or less particularly essential to the growth of 

 grasses. 



We imagine it will usually be found more effectual, as a 

 top-dressing, for some grasses than for others; and always 

 most so on the drier grounds. For tap-rooted grasses, we 

 think this manure should be buried in the soil. 



Under EARTHS, we have described the method of burn- 

 ing peat, and thus reducing it to ashes, for a manure ; but 

 we are induced to condemn the practice, unless, perhaps, 

 where it abounds in great quantities on the surface of the 

 earth, as in the county of Sullivan, and the northerly part 

 of Herkimer, and its vicinity, in this State, and in various 

 other parts oi the Country. 



29 



