VEGETABLE MANURES. 147 



notice by the late Lord Meadowbank. It is well known, 

 that in its natural state, it exhibits very little disposition to 

 decompose, and is therefore not much esteemed as an addition 

 to land. Lord Meadowbank, however, proposed to form it 

 into a compost, by mixing it with hot fermenting farm-yard 

 dung, by which means its indisposition to decay is overcome, 

 and it is in a short time converted into a highly-fertilizing 

 manure. He recommended, that one ton of strong fermenting 

 farm-yard manure should be placed in alternate layers with 

 two and a-half tons of dry peat mould. The value of this 

 compost is now fully appreciated by some of the most expe- 

 rienced farmers in this country and Scotland. 



224. When turf is required for manure, it should be raised 

 from the bog in dry weather, and allowed to remain for a 

 week or two exposed to the air. It may then be used to 

 form the manure heap. The proper fermentation of the mass 

 will be promoted by occasionally watering it with some 

 liquid from the cow-house ; or the dry mould, instead of being 

 formed into a compost, in the manner advised by Lord 

 Meadowbank, may be ^advantageously employed as a means 

 of absorbing, or sucking up the various liquid manures, 

 urine, &c. 



225. Dr. Shier, in a note to his edition of "Davy's 

 Agricultural Chemistry," states that he has repeatedly tried 

 the following compost, and has found it to raise a better crop 

 of turnips than an ordinary dose of farm-yard manure: — 

 "Ten tons of half-dried peat that had been several times 

 turned, and well exposed to the air, were mixed with six 

 bushels of sifted bone dust, weighing o61bs. or 58 lbs. per 

 bushel, and turned. At the next tiu'ning, the mass was mixed 

 with 56 lbs of sulphate of ammonia, and as much nitrate of 

 soda. After standing a few days, it was fit for use." The above 

 mixture would yield a most valuable manure ; but in many 

 parts of Ireland, it would be impossible to procure either 

 sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. Farmei^s, however, 

 who reside in the neighbourhood of large towns, may employ 

 with great advantage the ammoniacal liquor of the gas 

 works for moistening the heap, in the preparation of peat 

 composts. 



226. I have already recommended tanks for liquid manure, 

 as essential to the economy of every well-regulated farm 

 establishment. A simple manure tank, of the kind described, 



