98 



COM 



COM 



quantity of each, it is the practice 

 of some farmers to plough the 

 head ridges at both ends of the 

 field, ten inches deep, and to col- 

 lect one half of this, which can be 

 often spared, without any loss, as 

 the head ridges are generally too 

 high, in consequence of the earth 

 accumulated in the course of 

 years, from the plough being 

 cleared every time it turns. It 

 has been calculated, that where a 

 head-ridge is 18 feet broad, 72 

 feet of it in length, ploughed ten 

 inches deep, will produce 40 cubic 

 yards of earth, and consequently 

 the two head-ridges will produce 

 80 cubic yards of compost for the 

 field to be manured. 



"Composts are frequently made 

 of various materials, as several 

 sorts of earth, lime, old mortar 

 and plaster, green vegetables, be- 

 fore they run to seed, soft chalk, 

 tanners' bark, saw dust, soap- 

 ashes, dung, &c. It is recom- 

 mended, that instead of being 

 laid in regular layers, they should 

 be mixed as much as possible, in 

 forming the heap. A fermenta- 

 tion is soon excited, and the of- 

 tener the heap is turned, so much 

 the more will fermentation be 

 promoted. 



" A mode of making compost 

 ■was suggested by the late Lord 

 Meadowbank, of which peat is the 

 basis. It was not unusual in vari- 

 ous parts of Scotland, to bed cat- 

 tle, and even sheep, with peat, for 

 the purpose of increasing the 

 quantity of manure; but Lord 

 Meadowbank was the first individ- 

 ual in this country who investigat- 

 ed the properties of that species 



of manure, and explained them 

 upon scientific principles. The 

 result is that one ton of dung, will 

 ferment three tons of peat, or 

 moss earth. This is a most valua- 

 ble discovery, and must, if duly 

 attended to, greatly enrich many 

 hitherto neglected districts. The 

 great advantage of this compost 

 is, that it has nothing but inert 

 vegetable matter to act upon, 

 whereas, when lime is mixed with 

 rich earth, it may have the eflfect 

 of dissipating the gaseous matters 

 it contains, and of rendering it 

 proportionably less valuable. 



2. Composts are peculiarly well 

 calculated for grass lands, and 

 ought to supersede the offensive, 

 and wasteful practice of laying 

 putrescent matter on the surface 

 of the soil, by which a very large 

 proportion of its most valuable 

 component parts is lost in the at- 

 mosphere. They are likewise of 

 great use to moorish lands, aug- 

 menting their staple, and adding 

 to them a number of valuable and 

 enriching substances. In regard 

 to sandy or clayey soils, composts, 

 principally consisting of articles 

 different from their general nature 

 respectively, will improve their 

 texture and convert them into 

 loams. 



3. " The effects of composts 

 are highly satisfactory. In regard 

 to grass lands, experience has 

 shown, that they at once improve 

 their quality, and checks for years, 

 the progress of moss or even un- 

 profitable grasses. In thin moor- 

 ish soils, composts properly and 

 repeatedly applied, alter the na- 

 ture of the soil ; it becomes more 



