ON MANURES. 49 



a larger addition of earth, but, by imbibing the juices of the 

 dung, a compost is thus formed, of excellent quality in its 

 application to most crops, as well as soils, and especially to 

 grass-land. It has indeed been objected to this, that the 

 mixture of earth increases the size of the dung-hill without 

 adding to its virtue, while the expense of carriage is also thus 

 unnecessarily incurred, aud that the more manure is reduced 

 to its essence the better. But, although this may, in some 

 instances, be true, yet experience proves that a compost of 

 this nature becomes converted into a very fertile mould, and 

 in some sorts of unkindly land, small dressings are of little 

 benelit. On such soils, portions of pure rotten dung get fast 

 locked up in large clods, and are rendered useless to that 

 crop; but the increase of bulk, by the addition of earth, admits 

 of a much larger heap being applied, as well as of being more 

 readily united with the ground by the plough, so as to render 

 the tilth more manageable. In many cases, the mixture has 

 been theretbre found essentially useful ; and though the charge 

 of cartage is certainly an object of moment, yet that may be 

 lessened by forming the composts upon the headlands of the 

 fields to which they are to be applied. They may also be put 

 together at any time of the year, which, especially in summer, 

 is of itself an incalculable advantage. The ground should, 

 however, in that case, be previously summer-fallowed, unless 

 it be entirely free from weeds ; or a small quantity of quick- 

 lime may be added to the earth, but it should not be allowed 

 to come into immediate contact with the dung. When, how- 

 ever, the economy of carriage is not thought an object of so 

 much consequence as to confine the raising of the compost to 

 any particular spot, it will be advisable to select earth of the 

 alluvial sort, which is always of a rich, greasy nature, often 

 mixed with marl, and well calculated to invigorate poor soils 

 of a light and open texture: or loam: or, if nothing of the kind 

 is to be had on the farm, then with earth of a quality as oppo- 

 site as possible to that which predominates in the soil on which 

 it is to be laid; and the whole should be well turned, so that 

 it may be suitably fermented. The operation is thus per- 

 formed : — 



A bedding is formed of earth, or of sods with the grass 

 uppermost, upon which a layer of fresh dung is placed — the 

 fresher the better — about a foot in thickness ; upon that ano- 

 ther layer, equally as thick, is laid, — if of sods, doubled, with 

 the grass sides turned back to back, so as to present one 



