96 MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 



also the urine from the cattle. When the hogs failed to 

 keep the heap as level as desirable, it was levelled with a 

 manure fork. My endeavor was to have the whole so mixed, 

 that little or no fermentation should take place, until the whole 

 heap was carted to the field. In this I succeeded, and, as soon 

 as the composting in the field was finished, and the fermenta- 

 tion commenced, I began to use it for planting. In my opinion, 

 no strong manure should be used for the purposes of cultivation, 

 until mixed with some weaker substances, and fermentation 

 commences ; and one part stable manure, and two parts mud 

 and loam, when stable manure costs so much as it does here, 

 makes as profitable a compost as any within our reach. And 

 where all the droppings of a stock of cattle are immediately 

 mixed with mud and loam in the cellar, a much greater amount 

 of the latter may be used with good economy. 



Amount of materials and labor which formed the heap. 



\1\ cords stable manure at Boston, well stamped, in- 

 cluding one cord of night-soil, - - „ $39 50 

 Carting the same as 16 loads, at $3 each, - 48 00 

 The carting I did myself with one yoke of oxen and 

 a horse, for which I charge $3 per load, or day's work. 

 Carting one cord of oyster shells, - - 1 00 

 These shells were put into the middle of the heap in 

 the cellar, in January, and, in April, came out very 

 soft, and, immediately on coming to the air, they de- 

 composed. 

 Droppings of the 5 cattle and 2 hogs, say 5 cords at $5 50 27 50 

 50 cart-loads of loam at 20 cts per load, - 10 00 

 50 do do do mud at do, - do, - - 10 00 

 Corn-butts and litter, a small quantity, - 3 00 

 I carted to the field all that was under the barn myself, 



with one yoke of oxen, in 6 days, at $2 00 per day, 12 00 

 One man 5 days in mixing the heap with mud and loam 



in the field, - - - - - - 5 00 



Do do overhauling second time, - - 5 00 



Whole expense, - $161 00 



