100 FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURE OF THE NETHERLANDS. 



the bulk and value of fai-m dung by fermentation, 

 before it is ploughed into the ground. It is in 

 vain to attempt to check the rapidity of fermenta- 

 tion in dung, thus exposed to the influence of that 

 process, by watering, as Sir Humphrey justly ob- 

 serves ; for when it is laid up open to the air on all 

 sides, no more water will adhere to it, than serves 

 to hasten its consumption. 



Some degree of fermentation will indeed be ever 

 operating in this highly putrescible substance, be- 

 fore it can be carried to the field ; but it is more 

 economical to control, than to accelerate it. The 

 component principles might then be preserved al- 

 most entire, and turned into the ground in that 

 state. As fermentation proceeded, a genial heat 

 would be raised in the soil ; the volatile principles 

 escaping, would go directly to the support of ve- 

 getation ; and the more refractory pans would be 

 gradually dissolving, and both yielding food to 

 plants, and mending the construction of the soil. 

 To allay the fermentation. Sir Humphrey pre- 

 scribes covering dung with compact earth, so as 

 to seal it up from the access of the air, having first 

 di'ied it as much as possible. In this, he is per- 

 haps not quite correct. Turning it over to be 

 dried, would provoke fermentation; and it would 

 be impossible to make it so dry as to be incapable 

 of fermenting Besides, as the iei'mentation is most 

 violent when water is present in a low propor- 

 tion, the consumption would be rapid, and the re- 

 sidue of little value. But the dunghill, which is 

 daily augmenting, cannot be sealed up. His pre- 

 scription for its site is more commendable. He 

 directs that it be shaded as much as possible from the 

 rays of the sun, and that it be an excavation, paved 

 in the bottom, from which no water can spontaneous- 

 ly escape. If all the dung litter, and every kind of 

 refuse putrescible mattei, about a farm, be succes- 

 sively collected into such a place, blended together, 

 and regularly spread with a level surface over the 

 whole space, the mass can then be duly compress- 

 ed, to exclude the too free admission of air. Over 

 this, any urine of the live stock, Avhich the litter 

 has not absorbed, chamber-ley, and every kind of 

 foul water, should from time to time be sprinkled; 

 and when these are not sufficient, plain water 

 should be added, to keep the surface always quite 

 moist. When farm dung is managed in this man- 

 ner, all its parts being brought nearly in contact 

 by compression, and the small interstices filled 

 with liquid, the fermentation is restrained, and the 

 jnanure is suffering very little loss, either in bulk 

 or fertilizing quality : — at the same time, it is 

 undergoing a very important preparation. The 

 fibres, soaked in putrid water, though not con- 

 sumed, are much weakened ; the cohesion of the 

 parts is relaxed : the elasticity destroyed; and the 

 mass is fitted to dissolve in the soil, and yield abun- 

 dant nourishment to growing vegetables, the vo- 

 latile and most soluble parts not having been pre- 

 viously dissipated by a powerful fermentation. If 

 a quantity of farm-dung be taken out of a wet 

 dungstead, and laid loosely up to the air, it will be 

 cool at first; but heat will soon be generated; it 

 will smoke violently, and emit very pungent ef- 

 fluvia; which may convince any one, that the va- 

 lue of the manure has been preserved by being 

 kept in that situation. 



From a dungstead of this description, where all 

 the different matters are blended together, closely 

 compressed^ and equally soaked with putrid water, 



different sorts, to suit different soils or purposes, 

 cannot be taken ; but one sort suitable lor all soils 

 and crops, will be more valuable than all the pos- 

 sible sorts or varieties. It is believed, that farm- 

 dung, managed as above, may be successfully ap- 

 plied to every kind of soil. Soils, indeed, which 

 are dry and friable, and easily disposed to fall into 

 fine mould, sooner operate the decomposition of un- 

 fermented dung, than those which are cohesive, and 

 more retentive of water ; but such dung, by fer- 

 menting in the soil, has a powerful effect in mel- 

 lowing soils of the latter description. Nor does 

 it appear that such manure can be less proper for 

 turnips. After the parts are become flaccid by 

 compression and long steeping in putrid water, this 

 manure, lying compact, and holding as much wa- 

 ter as it can absorb and retain, one would think 

 that turnips would be exposed to as little hazard 

 over it as over highly fermented dung, and find 

 much more nourishment. But if the turnip hus- 

 bandman shall persist in dissipating one half of his 

 manure, in order to get the use of the other, there 

 seems to be no reason why others should follow 

 such a wasteful example. 



These crude remark's, which other business has 

 prevented me from putting in a better form, con- 

 tain the judgment which I and a number of my 

 neighbors have formed relating to the management 

 of farm dung, founded on a pretty long tract of ex- 

 perience; and we think it our duty, upon your in- 

 vitation, to submit Ihem to the public. Here it 

 may be added, that we find farm-dung, treated as 

 above, well adapted for compounding with peat- 

 moss, according to Lord Meadowbank's rule, of 

 which we approve, and such of us as have access 

 to that substance, practice. If you please, you 

 may give this a place in your valuable publication. 

 I am, sir, your humble servant, 



A. D. 



Clydesdale, 20th Oct. 1813. 



Agriciillvire of tlie I^etlicrlands. 



By the j^hbe Mann. Extracted from the 5th Vol. 

 of Hunter's G ear gical Essays. 



From the (Edinburgh) Farmers' Magazine. 



The characteristic features of the Belgic peasants 

 are, industry, great economy, and a strong attach- 

 ment to the methods and customs of their prede- 

 cessors. 



Few people are more attached to their customs 

 and practices than the Belgic peasants. They sel- 

 dom change their methods of agriculture, being 

 persuaded that their forefathers were as vvise and 

 knowing as themselves, and that what they did, 

 is the best themselves can do. Whatever may be 

 judged of their manner of living, and of the form 

 of their dwellings (in which, however, they are 

 as contented and happy as the most elegant English 

 farmer,) it will easily be acknowledged by those 

 thoroughly acquainted with the Flemish agricul- 

 ture, that their practices are far from being either 

 bad or irrational : on the contrary, it seems that 

 long experience has so well succeeded in adapting 

 these to the nature of the soil, that it would be hard 

 to do any thing better. During the many years I 

 was at the head of an establishment which had 

 many farms in property, and desirous to have them 

 cultivated to the best advantage, I tried what ex- 

 periments I could for this purpose. The intelli- 

 gent farmers ^vhom I often consulted on these 



