Muck and Fresh Stable Manure. 183 



on any agricultural subject, and especially on theories. Such dis- 

 putes do no service ; and tend to prevent the great mass of farmers 

 from meddling with a litigated topic. I shall therefore forbear any 

 animadversions on Mr. P. ? s remarks on my endeavours to eluci- 

 date my opinions ; unsuccessful as to him, and most probably with 

 others who deem stercoraries useless ; and, indeed, if they are 

 right, mischievous. Much less shall I incline to discuss the modus 

 operandi of dung, or other manures. In such discussions, men 

 of more intelligence than either of us have failed. Nor do I pre- 

 tend confidently to account for the causes of mildew, smut, or 

 other diseases in grain. I continue to hold covered stercoraries, 

 and compound dung-hills, in high estimation. If this be an error, 

 I a.mnow so incorrigible, (yet, I trust, open to future conviction,) 

 that I willingly join in opinion with very many experienced ag- 

 ricultors, that directly applying fresh unfermented stable dung 

 to crops, is a lamentable and wasteful misapplication of a power- 

 ful raw material ; invaluable for its capacity to impregnate and 

 elaborate earths, and putrescible and other substances : thereby 

 adding a manifold increase to the stock of manure ; by rendering 

 other materials highly fertilizing; which would, of themselves, 

 have been inert, inoperative, and worthless, R. Peters. 



February 25, 1816. 



