29 



100 parts will yeild only eight of soluble matter, with propor- 

 tionably less carbonate of ammonia, making it evident that it 

 should be applied as new as possible. The dung of domestic 

 fowls possesses the same properties as that of pigeons, but in 

 an inferior degree. Babbit's dung has been used with great suc- 

 cess, and is best when laid on as fresh as possible. 



The dung of cattle, oxen, and cows, contains matter soluble in 

 water, and gives in fermenting nearly the same products as vegeta- 

 ble substances, absorbing oxygen, and producing carbonic acid gas. 

 The recent dung of sheep and goats afford, when long boiled 

 in water, soluble matters, which equal from two to three per 

 cent, of their weight. These contain a small quantity of matter 

 analogous to animal mucus, principally composed of a bitter ex- 

 tract soluble in water and in alcohol. They appear to differ 

 little in composition, both giving ammoniacal fumes by distillation. 



The part of the dung of cattle, sheep, and goats, not soluble 

 in water, is the mere woody fibre analogous to the residuum of 

 those vegetables that form their food after they have been 

 deprived of their soluble materials. 



The dung of horses gives a brown fluid, which when evapo- 

 rated yields a bitter extract, which affords ammoniacal fumes 

 more copiously than that from the dung of oxen. 



If the pure dung of cattle is used as manure, there seems 

 no reason why it should be made to ferment except in the soil : 

 or if suffered to ferment, it should be only in a very slight 

 degree. The grass in the neighbourhood of recently voided dung 

 is always coarse and dark green, but this must not be attributed 

 to a noxious quality in unfermented dung, but rather the result 

 of excess of food furnished to the plants. 



The dung of horses and cattle is however usually mixed up 

 with straw and other matters, and consigned to a general heap 

 called the dunghill, and as this contains a large proportion of 

 fibrous vegetable matter, a slight incipient fermentation, sufficient 

 to induce a disposition to decay and dissolve when brought upon 

 the land and ploughed in, is certainly advantageous ; but although 

 this is necessary to the woody fibre, we must bear in mind that 

 too great a fermentation is highly prejudicial to the composite 

 manure in the dunghill, and it is better in fact that there should 



