PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 213 



on moderately wet mowing, in which there is little 

 peat or black mud; or it may advantageously be ap- 

 plied to potatoes in the hill, especially if the land be 

 not very well supplied with organic matter. In either 

 of these cases — on wettish mow-land, or in the hills 

 of a potato field— it will give an excellent return. 



NIGHT-SOIL. 



407. Night-soil should be removed to the land every 

 spring. Its value, as a fertilizer, is greatly increased, if 

 mixed with 6 or 8 times its bulk of dried peat or swamp 

 mud. Its value would be still more increased, if the 

 peat or mud, in a dry state, could have been thrown 

 in with it daily, or once in a few days during the pre- 

 vious year ; and this either with or without (better 

 with) a little plaster, would have prevented the bad 

 smell from that source, which is too often noticed 

 about premises. Poudrette can be prepared in this 

 way at little expense, and quite as effective as much 

 that is offered in market at a high price. Night-soil 

 is valuable for grass-land and for all kinds of grain. 

 In whatever form it is used, it should be spread thinly 

 over a large surface, rather than be put in large quan- 

 tities in one place. 



" 408. There is another article to which the last re- 

 mark applies with great force. It is old plastering 

 from the walls of rooms. This contains silicate of 

 lime, carbonate of lime, hair, and what is of more 

 value than all the rest, nitrate of lime. This last is a 

 very soluble salt, and is so valuable for any of the 



