37^ 



ei* IS dry, it will look little better than dry flraw j he 

 will now find it has loft .more than halt lis weight, and 

 vith that a large proportion of its real riches. In this 

 ftate I have often found it in hills of potatoes in a dry fea- 

 fon, where it nianifellly did more hurt than good, by keep- 

 ing the roots from the moill earth : If after this it rots, 

 yet it never can recover that winch it has loft by its rich 

 moiflure being rarified and evaporated by the fun. It 

 fhould therefore be fuflPered to lie in Tome convenient 

 place in a body together ; by which means its moifture is 

 preferved, a fuitable degree of heat generated, and a uni- 

 verfal putrefadion takes place, turning every part of it in- 

 to proper manure or food for vegetables : For in its crude^^ 

 {late it can fcarceiy be called a manure, but only fome- 

 thing of which a manure may be made, becaufe there is no 

 part of it but what muft be dilToIved by putrefadion be- 

 fore it can yield much vegetable food ; hence it comes to 

 pafs that if the feafon proves wet foon after it is ufed, it 

 does fome good, as it affords a little nourifhment by be- 

 ing putrified from the wetnefs of the ieafon ; but fhould 

 the feafon prove dry, no putrefaftion can take place, fo, 

 that of courfe, it affords no nouriihment to vegetables, bat 

 does real hurt by keeping the ground too (Tpen and hol- 

 low irk the hills where it is put. Yard dung, then, fiiould 

 never be ufed 'till it has been in a proper htuation for fer- 

 mentation and putrefaftion, one year at lead ; by this 

 means the feeds of grafs, weeds, or noxious plants, will 

 moftly periHi, and the dung by its putrefaftion, be ilored 

 with great quantities of proper food for vegetables, pofTefl- 

 ing thofe qualities which tend to meliorate and enrich the 

 land. To accomplifti this plan in the fpring, it (liould be 

 put into the place where it is intended the general com- 

 pofl heap fhould be made. For this purpofe a hollow 

 place fhould be chofen ; and if it cannot otherv^ife be had, 

 it fhould be dug large enough to hold the quantity of ma^ 

 nure intended to be made. If a place can be taken fo fit- 

 uated as to receive the wafh of the dwelling houfe, cow 

 yard, hog fly. Sec. fo much the better. It mull be clayed 

 all over its bottom and fides. Drains mutl be cut from 

 the loweft part of the cow yard, and hog fly, into the place 

 prepared to receive the compoR, fo that whatfoever is 



wafhed 



