OF MANURE. 173 



in order to promote fermentation ; that a person should 

 attend for the purpose of throwing up the dung ; and that 

 no cart be suffered to go upon the dunghill. Great care, 

 however, should be taken^ when the rank dung is thrown 

 up, that it be sufficiently wet. With a view also of pre- 

 venting the escape of the volatile alkali, it becomes very 

 necessary, to cover up the dunghill with a light covering of 

 finely-powdered earth, which tends greatly to increase the 

 quantity of those oily and saline substances, which, in fact, 

 constitute the value of every dunghill. If the dung is in- 

 tended for wheat, he only gives the dunghill one turn ; if 

 intended for turnips, two turns are necessary.* 



It perhaps may be here proper to mention, of what im- 

 portance it is, to have the dung spread and ploughed in 

 immediately, so that none of the most valuable parts may 

 be suffered to evaporate ; and it is the constant practice, 

 of all the best farmers in Scotland, to dung, spread, and 

 plough in the manure at the same time, so that none of 

 the dung is ever left exposed to the air. It is one of the 

 great disadvantages of small farms, that these operations 

 cannot be carried on in a systematic manner. 



On the subject of dunghills, the following very useful 

 suggestions are transmitted to me by Mr Dudgeon of 

 Primrosehill, in Berwickshire, regarding the means of fa- 

 cilitating the fermentation of dung, when carried out in 

 heaps to the field. The first is, never to allow the carts to 

 drive on to the dunghill or heap when unloading, as the 



* This covering with finely- powdered earth, as Mr John Shirreff re- 

 marks, is highly necessary, for if dung be turned twice after being depo- 

 sited, and shaken up loosely, it will be of very little value, unless it be 

 instantly covered at every turning. At all events, moving putrescent 

 matter intended for manure, must necesarily be attended with the loss 

 of some of its finer and most valuable parts. 



