ECONOMY OF ACIil CULTURE. 437 



states that in manuring meadow land lie has obtained far 

 greater effect from 175 lbs. of sewer water from the city of 

 Edinburgh, consisting for the most part of urine, than from 

 336 lbs. of stable manure, and the same quantity of guano as 



stable manure, with which he manured three equal parcels of 

 land. 



In view of such facts, every reflecting farmer must concede 

 that he loses annually a large amount of fertilizing elements 

 in not Baving all the urine of his establishment. In addition to 

 this, much that is poured into the drain at the " back door," to 

 putrefy, would, if poured into a tank and saved, furnish, in the 

 course of a year, a large amount of valuable liquid manure. 



Stable manure, by being kept in pits prepared for the pur- 

 pose, would be worth far more than when exposed, as it too 

 often is, to sun, wind, and rain. Under-ground stables protect 

 it somewhat ; but these are objectionable. The fumes rising 

 from the accumulated and accumulating droppings, lying be- 

 neath the floor, constantly diffuse themselves throughout the 

 stable where the cattle are kept, and thus make the stable air 

 exceedingly bad — rendering it impossible to give the animals 

 any thing like a healthful atmosphere. Another objection is, 

 having the cattle stand so far from the ground. Pits for the 

 reception of the solid excrements and tanks for the liquids 

 should be provided, so that all can be saved in such a way as 

 not to be offensive cither to man or beast, for the cultivated 

 fields need them. 



When all the animal excrements are saved to the best ad- 

 vantage, and sufficient knowledge derived from experience is 

 gained so as to use them in the way that shall render them in 

 the highest degree productive in the return of crops, it will be 

 found that farmers still need more. What shall be done? 

 They must next resort to artificial manures, as auxiliaries to 

 gain the end desired — to wit, the maximum production of every 

 cultivated rod of ground that they till. A Saxon agriculturist 

 of much practical experience on this subject says, " The more 

 extended employment of artificial manures is an advance in 

 farming that has already opened a new era. By this means the 

 business of a farmer is becoming more closely approximated 

 than formerly to that of a manufacturer ; for, whilst formerly 



