22 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 1 



counts of dung-water pay, that, wlien permitted 

 to trickle slowly upon iho sward of nioauow- 

 ground, it renders the grass soft and luxuriant. f in 

 an expriment recorded in the Ba!h Papers, two 

 spots ot meadow were equally measured, and wa- 

 tered three times a week during a month together 

 ot" nearly dry weather — the one with dark-colored 

 stagnant water ii'om a j;ond, and the other with 

 clear river-water — at the encl of which time, the 

 first was lUr better than the other. The crop upon 

 that part oi' the tield which had the foul water was 

 strong and succulent, of a deep healthy green, and 

 18 inches high, while the other though thick 

 and high was yellowish, weak, and iaint. On 

 being made into hay, and separately kept, the 

 former yielded nearly double tlie quantity and of 

 suj)erior quality to the latter; and the same effect 

 was visible iti the Ibllowing ye;ir.§ There needs, 

 indeed no argument to [aove that it must possess 

 some fertilizing properli^'s, but, exce[)t it be rich 

 in quality, as well as abundant in quantity it may 

 be doubilul whether it be a prohlable object of 

 team labor. 



Some extensive experiments upon the applica- 

 tion of liquid manure — when confined to urine — 

 have also been recently made in Scotland upon 

 various crops, ofwhich the Ibllowing is a summary. 



A cistern was constructed in the dung-court suf- 

 ficiently large to contain the urine of ii'om thirty- 

 five to lorty, and sometimes of seventy cows. The 

 supply generally amounted to 360 gallons a week. 

 Wlien intended for use it was mixed with three or 

 four times the same quantity of pond-v/aler, and 

 was taken out to the fields in a large butt containing 

 120 gallons, placed on wheels iikc a cart, to tlie 

 hinder part of which there was attached a wooden 

 box perforated with holes, through which the li- 

 quid ran out upon the ground in tiie manner of 

 a common watering-cart. 



found that when the manure which came from that 

 side of the dunghill was Uild upon the land, it was 

 weaker than the other; and he tiiereibre concludes — 

 'tliat when once this black water departs from the dun"-, 

 that it is like blood let out of a vein, never to be ap- 

 plied ajain for the like purpose it was designed for in 

 its original state.' Surv. of Rutlandsh., p. 91. 



This, however, was doubtless occasioned by fresh 

 fermentation being occasioned by the dung thus con- 

 tinually wetted, and dius losing its strength by repeat- 

 ed exhalation: but though it may be property us:d as an 

 argument for not thus a])plying even the drainage from 

 manure, unless it should be in danger of becoming fire- 

 fanged, yet that cannot be a motive lor allowing it to 

 run to waste. 



X Bedfordshire Report, p. 50.3; Bucking-hamshire do., 

 p. 27.5. 



§ Vol. i. p. 170. In pursuance of this e;;perimpni, 

 the pond was drained and lined with clay, to prevent 

 the water i'rom oozing through it; drains were then laid 

 into it from the stables, and into it were also em])tied 

 the contents of the privy and the olial from the kitcli- 

 en, by which means the water became very jiutiid. A 

 water-cart was then made, with a trough behind full of 

 holes, and the meadow-land was watered witii twenty 

 cartsCul, laid on either in the beginning of May, or 

 after the cutting of the croj) in July; the eiiect of 

 which was superior, on both crop and lowen, to any 

 other kind of manure. 



Although the lining of the pond with clay was a 

 cood precaution, it might, however, be dispeu'^cd with; 

 tor, on draining the pond, the earth at the bottom woidd 

 be found saturated with the drainage, and bring 

 scraped up, would make excellent manure. 



No. 1. — When applied, in October, to grass 

 which had been closely cropped by sheep,* the 

 afterarowth Vv'as not much increased, but the 

 sward maisnaincd a fresh green appearance du- 

 ring the winter, and it could be cut a month earlier 

 than that which had not been so treated. Even 

 in March it afiurded a lull biie; but should the 

 grass be wanted Jor pasture, and not lor cutting, 

 (he manure should not be applied later than De- 

 cember, as, when deferred until February, the 

 cattle are rather shy in eating it. 



No. 2. — The efiect when applied to chver-Ua, 

 to be broken up lor oats, was very perceptible; 

 the increase of crop beina; about one-third. 



No. 3. — For twAt'cf it answers well en alight 

 soil; but on stiff or clay land it does no good. if 

 laid on when the land is wet, it is also of no per- 

 ceptible benefit to the wheat; but if ap] lied under 

 more favorable circumstances, that crop would 

 j)robably be increased about one-fourth. 



No. 4. — To barley its application was found in- 

 jurious; lor, althoiigh tlie bulk of tlie crop was 

 .UTcai, yet the straw was so soil and weak that it 

 lodged. 



No. 5. — Potaties grew to a large size, but they 

 were watery and quite unfit for the table; though 

 the application of a little dung along with the 

 urine improved their quality. 



No. 6. — On turnips it was not found half so ef- 

 ficient as fermented dung. 



It thus appears that this species of liquid ma- 

 nure applies best to grass; a doctrine which is cor- 

 roborated by the experience of Mr, Harley, the 

 proprietor of the celebrated dairy near Glasgow, 

 who sa}s — 'that the advantages of irrigating 

 icrassdaiids with cows'* urine almost exceeds be- 

 lief: last season some small fields were cut six 

 times, averaging fitleen incfif's in length at each 

 cutting, and the sward very thick. 'f It was also 

 found to succeed best after a shower, or when the 

 ground was moist; but if laid on^during sultry 

 weather, it was advantageous to mix it with one- 

 third of water; and although that was not thought 

 necessary in spring or autumn, yet, "^judging ironi 

 the quantity used, it may be presumed to have 

 been rather profusely added. We learn, indeed, 

 from Sir liumpdiry Davy, that — 'during the putre- 

 faction of urine, tlie greatest part of the soluble 

 matter contained in it is dissip;ated.' lie therefore 

 recomnionds that 'if should lie consumed as fiTsh 

 as possible, but d not mixed with solid comi;ost, it 



* The account from which this was extracted says 

 'that tlie quantity allowed was 20,000 gallons per im- 

 perial acre;' but on calculating the urine at SCO gallons 

 per week, and presuming it to have been mixed with 

 (bur times the same quantity of water — as there stated 

 — the whole amount furnished during the year would 

 oidy be 93,fi00 gallons; yet the extent of ground thus 

 manured amounted — 



In the year 1S23, to 40 imperial acres 

 jlS.'JO, " 46 



1831, " 50 



1832, " 80 



of which the one-half was wrdcred again after the first 

 crop of clover was cut in 1S31 and 1832: there must 

 th.erefore be an error in th.e quantity of urine. See the 

 Quarterly Journai of Agriculture, JN'o. xix. p. S5 

 —97. 



f Sir.lohn Sinclair's Hints on tlie Agricultural Sys- 

 tem of tiie Netherlands, p. (iS. 



