168 MANURE. 



Mix the ashes and peat well together, sprinkling 

 with water to moisten a little, let the heap lay for a 

 week. Dissolve the salt in the water, in a hogs- 

 head, and add to the brine, the mixture of peat 

 and ashes, stirring well the while. Let it be stirred 

 occasionally for a week, and it will be fit for use. 

 Apply it as spent ley, grounds and all. Both ashes 

 and salts may be doubled and trebled, with advan- 

 tage, if convenient. The mixture or ley must be 

 used before it begins to putrefy ; this occurs in three 

 or four weeks. It then evolves sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen gas, or the smell of gas of rotten eggs ; this arises 

 from the decomposition of the sulphates in the water 

 and ashes, by the vegetable matter. A portion of 

 the geine is thus deposited from the solution. 



239. Having thus considered the class of mixed 

 manures, or those composed of geine and salts, those 

 consisting of salts only, are to be now explained. 

 These are next in value to the mixed manures. 

 They are chiefly the liquid evacuations of animals, 

 and when artificially combined with geine, their value 

 exceeds that of the solid evacuations. These liquids 

 equal, in fact, the mixed manures of the most fertil- 

 izing energy. The liquid evacuations are truly salts 

 only, dissolved in water ; but they are salts of a pe- 

 culiar character in many cases, and are formed of an 



