ON MANUKKS. 97 



The superior value of human excrements and urine as 

 a manure is well known to farmers. Liebig says, " the 

 Chinese are the most admirable gardeners and trainers 

 of plants, tor each of which they understand how to ap^ 

 ply the best adapted manure ; the agriculture of their 

 country is the most perfect in the world. In the case 

 of everything except rice, the Chinese seem to manure 

 rather the plant itself than the soil, supplying it copious- 

 ly with their liquid preparations. Human excrements, 

 especially urine, they consider invaluable. Laws of the 

 state forbid that any of them should be thrown away, and 

 reservoirs are placed in every house, in which they are 

 collected with the greatest care. No other kind of ma- 

 nure is used in their corn-fields. If we admit that the 

 liquid and solid excrements of man amount on an average 

 to 547 lbs in a year, which contain 16,41 lbs. of nitrogen, 

 this is much more than is necessary to add to an acre 

 of land, in order to obtain, with the assistance of the 

 nitrogen absorbed from the atmosphere, the richest pos- 

 sible crop every year." This, certainly, appears to us 

 very extravagant, but it should be remembered that this 

 is not the night soil used by our farmers, which has lost 

 most of its ammonia, but an article with which they 

 have not yet experimented — urine and excrement pre- 

 served. It would greatly promote the cleanliness of 

 our cities, towns, and habitations generally, if, instead 

 of the usual vaults, &c. of privies, casks or tubs, with 

 well fitted covers, were placed open beneath the seats, 

 and into these a handtul of ground plaster of paris, a 

 small keg of which might be kept standing by for this 

 purpose, were thrown every few days. When these 

 casks or tubs become nearly full, they can be removed, 

 the covers being put on, and carried in wagons, or 

 otherwise, wherever needed, without offending any one. 

 Two sets of these vessels would in most cases be need- 

 ed, that when one is removed another may be put in its 

 pl'.cc This method is now in use at my own domicil, 

 and I find it attended with very little trouble. If the 

 floors of stables, heaps and reservoirs of manure be 

 strewed from time to time with ground gvpsum, they 

 13 ^1 > 



