75 



stable litter, with horse -droppings, but chiefly the lat- 

 ter, brought to a certain state of fer mentation. The 

 droppings and litter should be obtained daily from the 

 stable, until enough for a bed is collected ; it should, 

 from day to day, be thrown up into a flattish heap, in 

 a dry place, where it will ferment very slightly. As 

 soon as enough is got together to begin to ferment, the 

 heap must be turned over ; and in these turnings, the 

 outer and inner parts of the heap, as well as the fresh 

 and the fermenting, must be well mixed up together ; 

 the heaps should be turned every second day, and 

 should never be made large, or else the dung would 

 become both too hot and too dry, either of which would 

 spoil it. To avoid this, the heaps should be flat and 

 shallow, with as much outside as possible ; in this way 

 the air, acting on a considerable portion of it, renders 

 it rather dry, and checks too rapid fermentation. This 

 preparation must be continued until the whole mass is 

 brought to an uniform mild, dryish state of fermenta- 

 tion. Then the bed may be made in the following 

 manner : About three inches of the prepared dung is 

 laid evenly over the bottom, and is beaten down firmly 

 with a flat heavy wooden mallet. Another layer is 

 then put on in the same way, and this is repeated until 

 the bed is formed to a thickness of about six inches. 

 The next two inches of the dung should have about a 

 sixth part of light turfy loam reduced to mould, and 

 sifted, mixed with it to give it body. The bed is now 

 prepared, and is to be spawned as soon as it is seen 

 that it does not heat violently. The heat ought not to 

 exceed 90 degrees : if it reaches higher than this, holes 

 must be made, a few inches apart, to let the heat pass 

 off, and in a day or two these may be filled up again. 

 The spawn is to be put in when the heat ranges about 

 75 degrees ; lumps of spawn about as large as a small 



