LOSS OF MANURE BY CARELESSNESS. 261 



habitants of the barracks in Baden and the fields sup- 

 plying them with bread, exists equally between the in- 

 habitants of towns and the country around. If it were 

 practicable to collect, without the least loss, all the solid 

 and fluid excrements of all the inhabitants of towns, and 

 to return to each farmer the portion arising from the 

 produce originally supplied by him to the town, the 

 productiveness of his land might be maintained almost 

 unimpaired for ages to come, and the existing store of 

 mineral elements in every fertile field would be amply 

 sufficient for the wants of the increasing populations. 

 At any rate, that store is, at present, still sufficient to 

 do so, although the number of farmers who take care 

 to cover by an adequate supply of suitable manures the 

 loss of mineral matters sustained by the land in the crops 

 grown on it, is but small in proportion to the whole 

 agricultural population. However, sooner or later, the 

 time will come when the deficiency in the store of these 

 mineral matters will be important enough in the eyes 

 of those who are, at present, so void of sense as to be- 

 lieve that the great natural law of restoration does not 

 apply to their own fields ; and the sins of the fathers, 

 in this respect, will also be visited upon their posterity. 

 In matters of this kind, inveterate evil habits are but 

 too apt to obscure our better judgment. Even the most 

 ignorant peasant is quite aware that the rain falling 

 upon his dung-heap washes away a great many silver 

 dollars, and that it would be much more profitable to 

 him to have on his fields what now poisons the air of 

 his house and the streets of his village ; but he looks 

 on unconcerned, and leaves matters to take their course, 

 because they have always gone on in the same way. 



