FOR MOWING AND PASTURE LANDS. 159 



is there any reason to suppose that Agriculture, as an art. was 

 not carried to as great perfection among the ancient Romans 

 as it has been either as an art or as a science, among the mod- 

 erns. For it is a curious fact that the Roman agricultural 

 literature far exceeded the modern in extent and richness, till 

 within the last fifteen or twenty years. And it would be easy, 

 if this were the proper place, to trace the points of resemblance 

 between the Romans and ourselves, not only in general modes 

 of cultivation, but also in the details of agricultural life, and in 

 the tools they used. 



It is still a question, whether the real value of stable manure 

 is not as great on the surface, if applied at a time when the 

 rich gases are not lost by evaporation. It is, perhaps, better, 

 if lands admit of ploughing without too great expense, to cov- 

 er such manures with the soil. But we have already seen how 

 tliis gaseous matter may be saved from loss by evaporation, by 

 the addition of charcoal or plaster. If this loss is prevented, 

 top dressing is by far the least expensive, when the object is 

 simply to renovate the soil, and improve the c[uality and in- 

 crease the quantity of grass. 



In a case which we have in mind, a very poor, worn out 

 grass lot, was top dressed with fourteen ordinary cartloads of 

 good stable manure to the acre. The cpiantity of grass was 

 increased four fold. Clover and Timothy came in as luxuri- 

 antly as on any new laid piece. If the top dressing were re- 

 peated once in five or six years, there would be no danger of 

 exhaustion, though there would be an advantage in loosening 

 the earth with the plough. But the use of stable manure 

 should be confined mostly to mowing land. On closely fed 

 pastures it would be injudicious, from its exposure to the sun. 

 On these, ashes or plaster would be better. 



It would lead us beyond the limits of our present purpose, to 

 enter into the details of the preservation of the animal manures. 

 But we must be permitted to make a few suggestions which 

 have been forced upon us by some years of observation in this 

 and in other states. It is a very common practice to suffer the 

 manure from the barn to lie exposed for months to the winds 

 and the rains of summer and winter. Many farmers have no 



