327 



ting of hogs, however, is subject to so many contingencies, 

 that under present circumstances, excepting where extraordi- 

 nary supplies of food are easily obtained, upon a large scale it 

 can be safely undertaken only with extreme caution and care. 

 Many, who have undertaken it, have been unsuccessful. 



XII. Manures. — The price of manures in this county is very 

 high. The farmers in the vicinity of Boston depend upon the 

 city stables for a large portion of what they use. The price in 

 Boston varies from three to four dollars a cord. I have known 

 a market farmer to purchase one thousand dollars' worth in a 

 year. Since the value of liquid manure is established, and its in- 

 trinsic efiicacy is so much superior to the solid parts of man- 

 ure, it is strange that no provision is made by the farmers for 

 saving the vast quantities that are now lost in the city. Hard- 

 ly an instance can be found, there is not one within my knowl- 

 edge, of any provision for saving it at their own barns. This 

 is an improvement yet to be effected. I have urged this mat- 

 ter so strongly, though not beyond its importance, in my for- 

 mer reports, that I shall add little more.* 



*" In respect to the quantity of nitrogen contained in excrements, 100 

 parts of the urine of a healthy man are equal to 1300 parts of the fresh dung 

 of a horse, according to the analyses of Macaire and Marcet, and to 600 

 parts oftho.se of a cow. Hence, it is evident that it would be of much im- 

 portance to agriculture if none of the human urine were lost. The power- 

 ful effects of urine as a manure are well known in Flanders ; but they are 

 considered invaluable bj' the Chinese, who are the oldest agricultural peo- 

 ple we know. Indeed so much value is attached to the influence of human 

 excrements by these people, that laws of the State forbid that any of them 

 should be thrown away; and reservoirs are placed in every house, where 

 they ai'e collected with the greatest care. No other kind of manure is used 

 for their corn fields. 



" How infinitely inferior is the agriculture of Europe to tliat of China! 

 The Chinese are the most admirable gardeners and trainers of plants, for 

 each of which they understand how to j)repare and apply the best manure. 

 The agriculture of their country is the most perfect in the world, and there 

 where the climate in the most fertile districts differs little from tlie Europe- 

 an, very little value is attached to the excrements of animals. With us 

 thick books are written, but no experiments instituted ; the quantity of man- 



