MANURE. 167 



poudrette, 2 per cent, in the middling, and 2.67 in the first 

 quality. 



The immense loss sustained by agriculture, by the waste- 

 ful and hateful mode of making poudrette, as above de- 

 scribed, demanded reform. The liquid portion of night-soil 

 at Montfaucon, is worth to agriculture nearly three times the 

 value of its poudrette. Chemistry taught that urine could 

 be easily converted to sulphate of ammonia, at a rate, calcu- 

 lating its value on its nitrogen, cheaper than poudrette. 

 Practice has shown that sulphate of ammonia is effective, in 

 proportion to its nitrogen, which is about 21 per cent. It 

 can be made at 4 J cents per lb. Now, at $1.62 per cwt. for 

 poudrette at 1.6 per cent, of nitrogen, the relative money 

 yalue of sulphate of ammonia and poudrette is as 1 to 13. 



It has been estimated that the urine at Montfaucon would 

 annually produce 4,000,000 lbs. of sulphate of ammonia. 

 The nitrogen in this amount is equal to 52,000,000 lbs. of 

 poudrette, or to 2,029,270 lbs. yard-manure, or about 225 

 cords, containing 0.41 per cent, nitrogen ; about j less than 

 that of pure cow-dung. Still it was desirable that all the 

 liquids of night-soil should be saved for agriculture, without 

 undergoing a process of separate manufacture, however 

 cheap its product might be. A process was wanted which 

 could be universally and easily applied, even by the hum- 

 blest of those who go about in darkness, and by night 

 "gather samphire, dreadful trade;" a process equally appli- 

 cable to a single load, or to the annual product of a crowded 

 city. 



With the hope that the nuisance of night-men may be 

 abated, when it is seen that agriculture and health will be 

 equally benefited, by adopting better processes for the con- 

 version of the contents of our vaults into manure, a general 

 account of the mode of effecting such a desirable result 



