MANURES THE DRY EARTH SYSTEM. 349 



of earth and a scoop or cup with which to handle it, will 

 answer a good purpose on emergency, and will enable the 

 poorest person not merely to mitigate but to absolutely 

 overcome the most offensive accompaniment of sickness.* 



While this invention offers relief from untold misery and 

 annoyance to all who cannot conveniently establish water- 

 closets in their houses, its agricultural importance makes it 

 especially interesting to farmers. 



It is a fact too well known to need discussion in our lim- 

 ited space, that of all manures none are at once so powerful 

 and so well adapted to the growth of all crops as " night- 

 soil," or human excrement, though its highly offensive 

 character has generally prevented its use, and has associated 

 with it an idea of degradation. In most parts of the coun- 

 try farm-hands would leave their places rather than to have 

 anything to do with the stuff; and where it is commonly 

 used, it is made a nuisance to wide neighborhoods. 



By the aid of the dry earth system every real and fan- 

 cied objection to its use is done away with. The mixed 

 earth and " soil," when dried and pulverized, are absolutely 

 without other smell than that of freshly turned earth ; and, 

 although every atom of fertilizing matter has been retained 

 in a most available form, there is nothing by w^hich, from 

 either appearance or odor, its character could be suspected. 



The most remarkable part of the whole matter is, that 



* For more particular information on this subject, the reader is referred to a 

 pamphlet entitled "Earth Closets, how to make and how to use them," pub- 

 lished by the N. Y. Tribune Association. 



