102 DRAININGS. 



commerce, under the name of poudrette^ are of such 

 extremely diversified composition, that the farmer 

 ought never to make use of them without previous 

 chemical examination. 



V. DRAININGS. 



A FARMER who does not carefully collect and pre- 

 serve the urine of his house and live stock, acts like a 

 miner who throws away dull, rich silver ore, because 

 it does not shine like white silver. 



A farmer who buys guano, bone-dust, or other arti- 

 ficial manures, but does not look carefully after his 

 drainings, is an extravagant farmer ; for he brings the 

 same thing into his yard at great cost, which he might 

 have for nothing, if he did not suffer it to flow or evap- 

 orate uselessly away from the same. 



That drainings fertilize the soil, what farmer is 

 ignorant, even from childhood? But how great is 

 their power in this respect, and how much of this 

 power may be lost by careless preservation and treat- 

 ment, many farmers are still unaware. Were it oth- 

 erwise, draining tanks commodiously placed would 

 be provided, first and foremost, in every farm-yard ; 

 were it otherwise, one would find no longer on a 

 farm great puddles of dungy and urinous drainings, 

 which sun, moon, and stars can undisturbedly shine 



