260 



MAN 



MAN 



becomes perfectly cold, and so soft 

 as to be easily handled or managed 

 ■w)th the spade. Independent of the 

 g<-!»( ral theoretical views unfavoiir- 

 ahie to this practice, founded npon 

 til'- ;!alure and coiiiposition of ve- 

 getal>'c substances, thrre are many 

 ar^o lents and facts which shew it is 

 pii-jii.licial to the interests of the 

 fanner. 



" Dnrine the violent fermenta- 

 tion which is necessary for redu- 

 ciiifj (arm \ard mannre to the state 

 in which it \? ciWfd short niuck^not 

 oiiiy a large quantity of fluid but al- 

 so of a gaseous matter is lost, so 

 much so that the dung is reduced 

 one half or two thirds in weight ; 

 and the principal t-iastic matterdis- 

 engriged is carbonic acid with some 

 ammonia; and both these if retain- 

 ed by the moisture in the soil are 

 capable of becoming an useful nou- 

 rishment of plants. Besides the 

 dissipation of gaseous matier,when 

 fer'nentation is pushed to the ex- 

 treme, there is another disadvan- 

 tage in the loss of heat, which if 

 ex 'tpd in the soil is useful in pro- 

 Ui ( '!g the germination of the 

 se and in a*sisti)ii> tlie plan! in 

 the list stage oi its growth, when it 

 is most feeble and liable to disease ; 

 and the fermeniation of manure in 

 the soil must bo particularly fa- 

 vourable to the wheat crop in pre 

 serving a genial temperature be- 

 neath the surface late in autumn, 

 and during winter. 



''Again it is a general principle 

 in chemistry, that in all cases of 

 decomposition, substances combine 

 much more readily at the momt^nt 

 oftheir disengagement, than after 

 they have been perfectly formed. 

 And in fermentation beneath the 



soil the fluid matter produced is ap- 

 [died instantly even while it is 

 warm to the organs of the plant, 

 and consequently is more likely to 

 be efficient than in manure that has 

 gone through the process, and of 

 which all the principles have en- 

 tered into new combinations. 



" A great objection against slight- 

 ly fermented dung is, that weeds 

 spring up too luxuriantly where it 

 is applied, if there are seeds ear- 

 ned out in the dung they will cer- 

 tainly germinate; but it is seldom 

 that this can be the case to any ex- 

 tent : if the land is not cleansed of 

 weeds, an) kind of manure ferment- 

 ed or unfermented will occasion 

 their rapid growth. Ifsligh(l\ fer- 

 mented farm }ard dung is used as a 

 top dressing for pastures, the long 

 straws and nnfermeiited vegetable 

 matter remaining on the surface, 

 should be removed as soon as the 

 grass begins to rise vigorously, by 

 raking, and carried back to the 

 dung hill ; in this case no mannre 

 will be lost, and the husbandry will 

 be at once clean and economical. 



It is the language of a lazy farm- 

 er, to say, that any species of ma- 

 nure is objectionable because it pro- 

 duces weeds. It is his business to 

 extirpate them, and the oftener he 

 is obliged to do it, the better for 

 him. and for the crop. Some par- 

 ticular weeds may be excepted, 

 such as the couch grass and other 

 perennial ones. 



'' In cases when farm-yard dung 

 cannot be immediately applied to 

 crops, the destructive fermentation 

 of it should be prevented as much 

 as possible. The principles on 

 which this may be eifected have 

 been alluded to. 



