ECONOMY OF NIGHT SOIL. 269 



surface soil, andall that remains to be done in the spring is to 

 harrow and put in the seed. 



Heavy clay soil should not be ploughed when too wet. If 

 stirred when in that condition, it is apt to cake or press into 

 hard lumps, which it is almost impossible to reduce until again 

 exposed to the action of the frost. Such soil requires a very 

 nice discrimination to determine at what degree of moisture it 

 is proper to introduce the plough. If too dry a great addition 

 of power is required to perform the same work. 



We have a piece of land that was ploughed last autumn when 

 too wet, and to aggravate the difficulty, the water stood on a 

 portion of it until quite late in the spring. The result was 

 that the surface ran together and baked to such a degree, that 

 it was found impossible to pulverize it, and the crop notwith- 

 standing a very bountiful supply of manure, was a perfect 

 failure. Wm. Birnie. 



After some discussion, the Essay was laid over for its second 

 reading. 

 Mr. Clement then presented the following Essay, on 



NIGHT SOIL. 



In this paper we shall assume, or rather affirm that great 

 negligence is manifest on the part of many persons, and whole 

 families even, in not using the precaution which sanitary meas- 

 ures alone obviously require, in order to protect their homes 

 against an atmosphere rende red offensive to the nostrils, pes- 

 tiferous, malarious, through the proximity of putrescent matter. 



Decaying vegetables, or fermenting and dissolving animal 

 manure, unprotected, emit quite as much effluvia of that nature, 

 and more even, than a tolerably well bred and reared gentle- 

 man can endure for a brief period of time without experiencing 

 unpleasant sensations. Of necessity there must be either large 

 or small accumulations of human excrements somewhere in the 

 vicinity of every one's dwelling-place ; hence the importance of 

 having a suitably constructed vault under every privy. 



While we are ready to admit that on the part of some, much 

 precaution and good judgment has been exhibited in the prepa- 

 ration of this not to be omitted adjunct to every man's domicile, 

 we as unhesitatingly assert that with many this sanitary 



