On Manures. 235 



Lord Meadowbank. It was not unusual, in various parts of 

 Scotland, to bed cattle, and even sheep, with peat, for the 

 purpose of increasing the quantity of manure ; but Lord 

 Meadowbank was the first individual in this country ( z73 ), 

 who investigated the properties of that species of manure, 

 and explained them on scientific principles. The result is, 

 that one ton of dung, will ferment three tons of good peat, 

 or moss earth (* 74 ). If either the dung or the moss be of 

 inferior quality, it will only ferment two tons; but if, in- 

 stead of dung, the refuse of whale blubber be mixed with 

 good peat, a ton will ferment from four to five tons of peat 

 moss. This is a most valuable discovery, and must, if duly 

 attended to, greatly enrich many hitherto neglected dis- 

 tricts. The great advantage of this compost is, that it has 

 nothing but inert vegetable matter to act upon, whereas, 

 when lime is mixed with rich earth, it may have the effect of 

 dissipating the gaseous matters it contains, and of render- 

 ing it proportionably less valuable. 



Besides mixing moss with dung, on the scientific plan 

 pointed out by Lord Meadowbank, many farmers throw 

 some moss-earth daily, into the floors of their stables and 

 cow houses, and even into the bottoms of their dungstead, 

 and the stanks near it, so that the moss-earth may absorb 

 and retain the urine of the cattle, and juices of the dung- 

 hill ; and the whole being thus brought into a state of fer- 

 mentation, the antiseptic qualities of the moss, are thus over- 

 come, and it is converted into a manure, nearly equal in qua- 

 lity to dung itself. By these means, many industrious far- 

 mers have added one- fourth, or one-third part to the value, 

 as well as to the volume of their dung, every year. To get 

 the full benefit of these operations, the moss earth should 

 be thrown up, and exposed to frost, and afterwards dried 

 a little, before being carried to the farm-stead; and if pos- 

 sible, it should be kept in a shade there, till used, so that 

 its texture being reduced by frost, and half dried when 

 laid on the stable floor, it may imbibe the urine more com- 

 pletely, and be converted by it to manure. 



2. Composts are peculiarly well calculated for grass-lands. 

 They are likewise of great use to moorish soils, augmenting 

 their staple, and adding to them a number of valuable and 

 enriching substances. In regard to sandy or clayey soils, 

 composts, principally consisting of articles different from 

 their general nature respectively, will improve their texture 

 and convert them into loams. 



3. The effect of composts is highly satisfactory. They 



