OF MANURE. 17,5 



k a little rotten : care, however, should be taken, that in 

 rotting, it do not heat too much ; for if it turns dry and 

 M'hite, it certainly hurts it much. On the other hand, Mr 

 Walker of Mellendean condemns the practice of using fresh 

 dung, in so far as regards at least the turnip crop. For up- 

 wards of thirty years, he has found, in every year, that a 

 small quantity of rotten dung is sufficient for that crop, and 

 if the soil and season are suitable, will almost always ensure 

 a good crop of turnips, and the succeeding crops, accord- 

 ing to the common rotation. But he never yet could raise 

 a full crop, with long fresh dung, however thick laid on ; 

 on this account, he is always at a considerable expence, 

 about the end of April or beginning of May, in leading 

 out, turning, and watering the dunghills, so that the dung 

 may be in a putrid state when laid on the land in June ; 

 and after all, he is obliged every year to manure a part of 

 his turnip land with fresh dung, and wherever it is laid on, 

 the crop is invariably very much inferior, as are the suc- 

 ceeding crops in the rotation. The same remark is made, 

 when land is summer-fallowed with dung. It is contended, 

 indeed, that until the mass is heated, it cannot properly be 

 called dung, and that though fresh or long dung, will go 

 farther, so will straw, but that is no proof of its being more 

 valuable. 



Mr Brodie of Garvald, who has had so much experience 

 jn raising turnips, is decidedly of opinion, that the dung 

 of cattle and horses should be properly blended, and well 

 digested, before it is applied to turnips ; and, indeed, he 

 maintains, that turnips in drills would be better without 

 dung altogether, than to have it applied in a long, half- 

 rotten state, as it tends to admit the drought, instead of 

 affording moisture and nourishment to the plants, while 

 they are young and tender. Whereas, if the dung is of a 

 good quality, a very small quantity generally insures a good 



