NIGHT-SOIL. 805 



plans have been adopted to reduce it to the solid 

 form, both to diminish cost of conveyance, and also 

 to admit of its being used with the drill; in these, 

 however, a portion of the volatile constituents is 

 generally lost, though what remains is undoubtedly 

 a valuable manure. 



810. In the manufacture of some of the best of 

 these " disinfected night-soils," charcoal-pow^der, 

 burnt clay, and other similar porous substances, are 

 used to absorb the gases evolved (162). 



811. The most economical mode of using night-soil 

 is, probably, to allow it to putrefy, diluted with water, 

 and mixed with a considerable quantity of vegetable 

 matter, and to employ it as liquid manure. Of course 

 this cannot be done when it is intended subsequently 

 to carry it to a distance. 



812. The dung of different animals varies consider- 

 ably in its value as manure, depending, in great part, 

 on the substances which constitute their food ; that of 

 those which live on animal food being of course richer 

 in nitrogen than that of vegetable feeders. The 

 value of those kinds used as manure are in the fol- 

 lowing order : Pig's dung, night-soil, sheep and 

 rabbit's dung, horse dung, and cow dung ; the first 

 being that of most value. 



813. In manuring land by feeding off with sheep, 

 not only does the land receive a large quantity of 

 valuable manure from the dung, urine, and perspira- 

 tion of the animals, but it likewise has its mechanical 



26* 



