APPENDIX. 455 



Of vegetable substances, it may be generally observed, that almost 

 every sort of vegetable, not of woody texture, buried in tii 

 while green, is more or less efficacious as a manure ; and lhat many 

 sorts of these, when turned under where they grew, and while in a 

 green state, will add much more fertility to the soil than their growth 

 extracted from it; but that the same growth, when suffered to ripen 

 on the ground, and then turned under, after the exhaustion of its 

 juices, will not generally repay the soil the nutriment it e\ 

 from it while growing. It would seem that the ripening 1 of plants is 

 the principal cause of the exhaustion of soils, am!, for this reason, 

 green-dressings, that is, ploughing of green crops under, has Ken 

 found advantageous in enriching lands. Where green -dressings are 

 resorted to, as a manure, such growths should be selected for the 

 purpose as are cheap in the article of seed, and at the same time 

 quick and bulky in their growths. Buckwheat has been much used 

 for the purpose, though perhaps some other plants should be prefer- 

 ed. The growth should be turned under when in blossom ; and, in 

 order that this be done effectually, it should be laid prostrate, by 

 runing the roller over it, in the sume direction in which the plough 

 is to follow; after which, the ground should not be stired again till 

 this manure has sufficiently roted. Generally, we think it would be 

 most advisable to sow on the lay or furrow, by which the green-crop 

 is turned under. 



There may be some instances where manuring with green-dressings 

 may be advisable, particularly where it can be done without prevent- 

 ing the growth of any intervening- crop. Where this is not practi- 

 cable, we should hardly advise to this method of manuring-, unless in 

 cases where other manures were not to be obtained. One case we 

 will however mention, where a green-dressing might be given to 

 advantage. Suppose, for instance, a crop of rye, oats, or barley har- 

 vested, and the ground cleared of the crop, by the 20th of July; in 

 that case, let the stubble be immediately turned under, and the 

 ground harrowed in with buckwheat; by the 20th of September 

 this growth would be fit to be turned under, when a crop of wheat 

 might be sown on the lay. It should be understood, that rye is one 

 of the best crops to precede a crop of wheat, or to follow it. In the 

 same manner, therefore, the crop for a green-dressing may be raised 

 in the wheat-stubble turned under, and the green-crop turned under 

 for a crop of rye. 



But the contents of the barnyard, and the excrements of cattle, 

 are the principal sources of manure of the vegetable kind ; and of 

 these it is necessary to treat particularly, as well of the qualities of 

 the different sorts, as of their most advantageous applications to soils. 

 The sorts of dung or excrement to be noticed, are those of Horses, 

 Neat-cattle, Sheep, and Swine. The dung of Swine is most valuable, 

 where properly applied; that of Sheep is the next; that of Cows ranks 

 in the third degree; and lhat of Horses in the fourth. The dung of 

 the latter, if suffered to lie in a heap till it becomes thoroughly heat- 

 ed, assumes a whitish or mouldy color, and is then of but little value. 

 It is of a warm nature, and is best adapted for being well buried in 

 linoist or clayey soils; cow-dung, on the contrary, is most suitable for 

 dry soils; sheep-dung answers best on the soils for which that of 

 Horses is best suited; but is very valuable for almost any soil. 

 Hog dung should only be applied to dry arable lands, and is most 

 powerful in those of a sandy or gravelly nature. Dung, of all sorts, 

 loses much of its valuable qualities by exposure to frequent rains, 

 particularly when lying at but little depth over a considerable 



