318 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



matter, especially from Ghent to Bruges, absorbing water 

 feadily, but not holding too much — such as would retain the 

 shape of the hand when pressed. It bears great crops of clover, 

 carrots, turnips, potatoes, rye and buckwheat. These lands 

 generally get repeated dressings of liquid manure. The first, 

 just before sowing for rye or oats, and one or two others during 

 their growth. On these light soils they consider the use of 

 coarse stable manure worse than useless. On grass lands they 

 use ashes pretty freely — twenty or thirty bushels per acre. If 

 they have not manure enough, and want to keep land in grass, 

 they pasture instead of making hay, every third year, and think, 

 though they make less profit, that it is better for the land. 



I saw the utmost care taken to collect and preserve manures, 

 though perhaps no greater than in some other countries. 

 Street manure, night soil and liquid manure, lime and mud 

 mixed in a kind of compost, pigeon and hen manure, and all 

 other fertilizing substances appear to be thought as much of as 

 if the farmer's whole fortune depended upon them. They 

 prefer to put horse manure on heavy and wet soils, as it is dry, 

 warm and strong, and loosens up the ground, working soon, but 

 not lasting long. Cow manure they consider richer, but not so 

 warming as that of the horse, and while it will last longer, as it 

 does not ferment so soon, the after crop will get the advantage 

 of it, if the first don't. The Flemish farmers mix their 

 manures a good deal. Their hog manure goes in with that of 

 the horses, and they like such a mixture for flax. They mix 

 one-third hog manure and two-thirds horse, let it stand in 

 heaps, mixing it well, and pouring over the heap liquid 

 manure every time it is thrown over. 



They use sheep manure too, and consider it one of the 

 strongest and best, as it ferments more than other kinds of 

 manure. On wet soils they will use six loads where they 

 would use nine of other kinds. It will burn grass, they say, 

 if used too freely, and they do not apply it for flux. 



In the vicinity of Ghent, where the soil is very light and 

 poor, they are obliged to use night-soil extensively. It is 

 applied often in a li(|uid form, a cask being used in which it is 

 diluted with water. The cask is set on wheels, and is drawn 

 by a horse, tlie workman riding on his back, and ])ulling the 

 tap out by a rope, when it runs out over a board and is pretty 



