54 TRANSACTIONS. 



fertilizers for the soil, and which would otherwise render your prem- 

 ises filthy and stenchy. 



Every farmer has ever-producing resources of some or all of these 

 manurial substances, which he cannot well afford to lose, and which, 

 if saved and composted, will enable him to make several cords more 

 of manure than hitherto, every year, which will readily sell, if he has 

 no land upon which he wishes to use it. Besides, he will keep his 

 premises clean and free from offensive smells, indicative of bad econ- 

 omy not only, but of a very criminal disregard for health and comfort. 

 There are many who call themselves farmers, that would consider them- 

 selves Avronged if any one should question their claim to this noble 

 title, — who claim to be great economists, yet have never learned the 

 distinction between economy on the one hand, and stinginess and 

 parsimoniousness on the other, having no claim to the former, yet 

 possessing the latter in full exercise in all that pertains (o the mental 

 improvement of their families — that suffer filth and nastiness of every 

 kind to accumulate about the " back door" and yard, being horribly 

 offensive — with a drain, perhaps, from both hogsty and barnyard, 

 pouring the liquid manure into the highway — a nuisance to every 

 passer by. 



The following directions for making compost manure are taken 

 from SprengeFs late work on Manures. The right was patented in 

 Germany : 



*' First take a layer of twenty inches in thickness of straw dung, or 

 straw, dry leaves, weeds, potato stems, turf, muck, or marl. This is 

 to be wet with dung-water, or common water, and covered with 

 night-soil, poultry dung, street sweepings, pulverized bones, offal, 

 kitchen slops, &c. 



Next one-fourth of an inch of coal, or, wood ashes. 



Then three inches of good earth mould or marl. 



Then eighteen inches of horse, sheep, or cattle dung — wetting it 

 again with urine or common water, then cover with a layer of pond 

 mud, ditch scrapings, mould, muck, or marl. 



Next one-fourth of an inch of coal, or wood ashes ; and then a 

 second course of straw dung, ashes, mould or marl, horse, sheep, or 

 cattle dung, with a final covering of mud, muck, or marl. From two 

 to three weeks in summer, and from four to six weeks in winter, are 

 required for the fermentation. If in any part of the mass the heat be 

 too great, it should again be covered with loam or mud, and wet with 

 water. _ If any part does not ferment, holes are made, that the air 



