

MANURES. , 237 



" Wealth,' and in 1863 he contributed to the Journal of the 

 " Royal Agricultural Society of England, a paper headed ' Earth 

 '' versus Water for the Removal and Utilization of Excrementi- 

 '' tious Matter.' In these publications he pointed out the fact 

 "that, 'first, a very small portion of dry and sifted earth (ij 

 " ' pints) is sufficient, by covering the deposit, to arrest effluvium, 

 " ' to prevent fermentation (which so soon sets in when water is 

 used) and the consequent generation and emission of noxious 

 gases. Secondly, that if within a few hours, or even a few 

 days, the mass which would be formed by the repeated layers 

 " ' of deposit be intimately mixed by a coarse rake or spade, or by 

 " ' a mixer made for the purpose, then in five or ten minutes 

 " ' neither to the eye or sense of smell is any thing perceptible but 

 " ' so much earth.' He found, further, that ' when about three 

 " ' cart-loads of sifted earth had been used for a family which 

 " ' averaged fifteen persons and left under a shed, the material first 

 " ' employed was sufficiently dried to be used again. This pro- 

 " ' cess of alternate mixing and drying was renewed five times, 

 " ' the earth still retaining its absorbent powers apparently unim- 

 " ' paired. Of the visitors taken to the spot none could guess the 

 " 'nature of the compost, though in some cases the heap which 

 " ' they visited in the afternoon had been turned over the same 

 " ' morning.' 



" ' Three cart-loads of earth served fifteen persons for half a 

 " 'year, being used five times over in that time.' 'At Bradford- 

 " ' on-Avon, the same earth having been dried and used repeatedly 

 " ' at the school of the union-house, in which there are fifty-five 

 " ' children, the whole compost did not exceed a cart-load and a 

 " ' half, or thirty cwt., at the end of five months.' 



"The arrangements required to constitute an earth closet are 

 " not necessarily complex or expensive. It is only needful that 

 "a space be had below the privy-seat, the bottom of which 

 " should be of flagging or cement, and a little above the ground 

 " level, or at least protected from the wet of rain and of the 

 "ground. This space should communicate with a shed at the 

 " rear of the privy, to hold on one side a load or two of dry fine 



