MAN 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



MAN 



directly, the herbage thickened surprisingly, and grew most 

 luxuriantly. The cattle neglecting the rest of the field, were 

 perpetually feeding on this part; so that by autumn it was 

 pared down like a fine green lawn, the other part being a 

 dusky, rough, rugged pasture. The part of the field manured 

 with night-soil continued excellent. How strange then does 

 it seem, that this manure has been neglected in most parts of 

 Europe, and particularly in England, where the greater part 

 is suffered to run to waste, besides poisoning our rivers. Lime 

 thrown into the privy, will make an excellent mixture with the 

 excrement, and at the same time removes the ill smell and 

 noxious vapours of it. Saw-dust, peat-moss, or any common 

 earth, will be highly useful in absorbing the urine. Lime will 

 also render the excrement so short and dry, that it may be 

 used as atop-dressing. Two cart-loads of ordure, mixed with 

 ten loads of earth and one of lime, will be a sufficient top- 

 dressing for an acre, and is excellent upon light lands for 

 wheat and barley: for the former of which, it should be used 

 early in the spring; and for the latter, it may be either scat- 

 tered upon the young crop, or harrowed in with the seed. It 

 is particularly convenient for all drill crops. Urine, of every 

 sort, is found to be of great use, when laid upon grass or young 

 crops early in the spring. The most convenient way of apply- 

 ing it seems to be in the form of a compost, with earth and a 

 small proportion of lime. In this shape it is a good manure for 

 moist soils, particularly such as are light, sandy, or gravelly. 

 Great quantities of this article might be saved; and, judiciously 

 used, would ensure one or two good crops: about all farms, 

 and great towns, it might be collected into reservoirs, with 

 other excrements, without much trouble. In some countries 

 this is an object of police, especially in the towns, where 

 reservoirs are established for collecting it; the farmers carry 

 it away in barrels, and either sprinkle it immediately upon 

 their fields, or mix it into composts. Bones, are used as a 

 manure, both by themselves and with other substances. The 

 common way of preparing them is, to break them with a mill 

 into pieces about the size of a marble or nutmeg; they are 

 afterwards laid upon the field in small heaps, at regular 

 distances, and covered with earth: after remaining in this 

 state for some time, they are spread on fallows, on grass, or 

 on turnip-land. Of all manures, bones are probably the most 

 permanent; and when used in their simple state, without the 

 addition of earth or lime, they ought never to be laid upon 

 any but the sharpest and most active soils ; such as limestone, 

 chalk, or gravel: upon all these they will meet with more or 

 less calcareous earth; which will, in some degree, disengage 

 their fixed air, and dissolve the oil contained in them : but 

 upon deep clays, tills, or loams, they should never be applied 

 in that state. But when made into a compost, they may be 

 applied with advantage upon soils of every description, by 

 laying them upon or near the surface, when the crop is in a 

 growing state. Upon wheat, it should be used early in the 

 spring, without harrowing; upon barley and oats, it 'may be 

 harrowed in along with the grain. For drill crops, such as 

 Turnips, Beans, &c. they are particularly convenient, as they 

 admit of being put into the drill at the same time with the 

 seed, more readily than most other manures. Horns, of every 

 kind, are useful in manure, when cut into small pieces; in 

 their natural state they produce little effect: the proportion 

 proper to be employed varies with the size of the chips or 

 shavings ; fewer being necessary, when small ; but the effect 

 of the larger are longer felt. If they are of a middling size, 

 about sixty stone to an acre is a reasonable quantity; if more 

 be used, the grain is apt to be too luxuriant, and too long in 

 ripening: it is also liable to be injured by mildew. The 

 mall pieces are chiefly turner's shavings, bought at twelve 



or thirteen shillings per quarter, and are much the most 

 useful : the large ones are refuse pieces of horn, costing about 

 two shillings less per quarter, and are generally ploughed in 

 three months before sowing Wheat or Barley. They both 

 answer in most soils and seasons, except very dry seasons. 

 Hoofs are of the same nature with horns, and answer the 

 same purpose. The offal of fish would be worth attending 

 to, especially where they are cured in considerable quantities, 

 as at Yarmouth. All Recent Animal Substances, as blood, 

 and the whole refuse of slaughter-houses, shambles, &c. afford 

 a very rich manure: mixed with earth, and fresh horse-dung, 

 they make a very rich compost. Blood mixed with saw-dust 

 makes a good land-dressing, to be sown upon wheat in the 

 spring. Putrid Animal Substances, are good manures, if pro- 

 perly managed : when used alone, they should always be laid 

 upon the most active noils, such as chalk, limestone, &c. The 

 most proper way of preparing them for use is, to mix them 

 with chalk and quick lime; the mixture should be laid in 

 heaps of three or four cart-loads each, and covered with earth : 

 after remaining in this state for eight or ten days, the heap 

 should be turned over, and ten cart-loads of earth added to 

 each cart-load of the mixture. It should then remain a month 

 in the heap, and may afterwards be applied as a top-dressing, or 



harrowed in with the seed. REFUSE OF MANUFACTURES. 



Under this head, a variety of articles may be enumerated. 

 Fellmongers' Cvttings'or Pouke, is used in Surrey and Kent, 

 and about Dunstable, where the price is sixpence a bushel; 

 and they use from twenty to forty bushels an acre. It is 

 composed of sheep's trotters, hair, scrapings of the pelts, 

 lime, &c. There are two sorts, the white and the brown : 

 the white is much the best, having more oil, lime, and hair, 

 in it; but they are both good, and go farther in dressing land 

 than almost any manure, in the proportion of four to one. 

 Furriers' Clippings, are sown by hand, from the seed-scuttle, 

 on land intended for wheat and barley, and immediately 

 ploughed in : the pieces that are left above ground are pricked in 

 by a stick, to prevent their being devoured by dogs or crows: 

 from two to three quarters are used on a statute acre. They 

 answer well on light dry chalk or gravelly soils; where they 



hold moisture, and help the crop greatly in dry seasons. 



SEA WEED. Ware, or Ore, is used as a manure upon almost 

 every part of the coast where it can be obtained in sufficient 

 quantity. In several parts of the kingdom, the value of land 

 has increased six-fold, from the circumstance of the proprietor 

 or occupier having easy access toil. Upon lands situated on 

 a dry limestone bottom, it has produced the most surprising 

 effects. The sea-weed commonly used in Scotland, is of three 

 different sorts: the best is that which is cut from the rocks, 

 and of which kelp is made; the second is called the peasy 

 sort; the worst is that with a long stalk. The common prac- 

 tice is, to spread the weed, immediately after it is brought 

 from the shore, either upon the stubbles or grass lands: when 

 laid upon the stubbles, it is generally ploughed in as soon as 

 possible. Farmers who can use it fresh do not lay it in heaps 

 to ferment; because a load of fresh ware will be of more ser- 

 vice fresh, than two loads laid in aheap to ferment. In most 

 cases sea-weed may be conveniently used in this way; for 

 where a farm is under proper rotation, there will always be 

 ground to lay it upon. During the winter months, it may be 

 put upon the ley and stubble fields; in jthe spring, upon the 

 bean and barley lands ; during summer, the fallows will 

 require all that can be collected; and by the time these are 

 sufficiently manured, the clover fields, after the first cutting, 

 will be ready to receive the remainder; through the autumn, 

 the stubble fields will require all that can be collected. Thus, 

 throughout the year this valuable manure may be used at 



