24 A PRACTICAL TREATISE 



in such proportions as may be thought best adapted to the pur- 

 poses for which the compost may be required. If no better 

 arrangement can be made, the litter should be placed within 

 some dry ditch, which will answer the purpose of a more 

 regularly constructed pit, where its moisture may be main- 

 tained without too greatly heating it, and without exposing it 

 to the evaporating action of the air. Thus, if care be at the 

 same time taken to prevent it from becoming dry, the fer- 

 mentation will be checked ; and should it be thought expedi- 

 ent to still further retard tliat operation, it may be effected by 

 a mixture of hog's dung, which, though rich, yet being of a 

 colder nature, is less fermentable. By this union the dung 

 becomes decomposed into a soft and pulpy mass, which forms 

 a very powerful manure, and, by a little judicious manage- 

 ment, can be either promptly got ready or be kept back at 

 pleasure. 



Under other circumstances, however, and especially on small 

 farms, where the quantity of materials may not be sufficient to 

 allow of their bemg separated without incurring the risk of 

 loss by the excess of evaporation, or by the want of due fer- 

 mentation, it is found more generally expedient to spread 

 together all the different sorts of the dung of the larger ani- 

 mals in different layers, so that each may be regularly mixed 

 and partake equally of the common properties of all, by which 

 means tlie faults of one species are corrected by another ; the 

 too rapid fermentation of the dung of horses is checked, while 

 that of hogs and horned cattle is accelerated, and thus tiie 

 whole mass acquires the enriching properties of the most fer- 

 tilizing compost. 



Preparation of Manure. — Dung, thus indiscriminately 

 tin-own together, being com])oscd of every species, whether 

 from horses, pigs, or black cattle, bedded with a litter of straw, 

 to which every vegetable substance that can be collected 

 round the houce and ])remises should be added, forms a com- 

 bination of fermentable matter of various kinds, wliich, witli 

 due care, may soon be brought into a fit state of preparation. 

 Instead, however, of laying it in a regular manner, it is too 

 otlen suffered to remain in different heaps, in whatever part 

 of the yard it may have been carried from the barn and stables, 

 in which condition it is left during the winter; and being thus 

 imperfectly fermented, its value is, in all such instances, very 

 materially injured : whereas, if spread as equally as possible 

 over tlic entire yard, the different materials becoming thus 



