OF STRAW, ITS VALUE, AND USES. 421 



and fine earth below, for absorbing the urine, there is rea- 

 son to believe, that straw would not be necessary for lit- 

 tering cattle, if any other useful mode of applying it were 

 ascertained. 



3. Thatching 



'<&' 



For many ages, straw was the common material, for 

 roofing farm-buildings and cottages; and was formerly 

 made use of even in towns. This mode of roofing has still 

 its apologists. It is said, that the expence of a thatched 

 roof is not great, in so far as respects labour ; and the va- 

 lue of the straw is, to the grower, either the price he could 

 obtain for it, or tha-t of the dung that could be made from 

 it, as the kind used for thatch is seldom consumed as fod- 

 der. Where economy must be attended to in the building 

 of cottages, straw is taken as the least costly material, but 

 in these days, when manure is so extremely valuable, as 

 little straw as possible should be spared for other purposes. 



The durability of a thatched roof is likewise maintain- 

 ed. It is said, that a good coat of thatch, will need very 

 little repair during an ordinary lease. But care must be 

 taken, that the straw is very clean threshed. If it is not, 

 the grain left will soon spring, and introduce putrefaction, 

 and encourage vermin. The threshing-mill, it is suppo- 

 sed, renders straw less fit for thatch, than when it was 

 threshed by the flail. 



Thatching, however, is not so common as formerly. 

 The risk of fire, the broken state of the straw when thresh- 

 ed by mills, and the increased demand for manure, in con- 

 sequence of the improved state of agriculture, have all 

 contributed to this effect. Besides, there is an additional 

 expence of insurance against fire. In common buildings, 



