THE FARM. 1131 



bushels; mix thoroughly, and spare no labor; for in this matter 

 the elbow grease expended will be well paid for. A little before 

 planting, moisten the heap with water, or, better still, with urine ; 

 cover well over with old mats, and let it lie till wanted fox use. 

 Apply it to beans, corn, or potatoes at the rate of a handful to a 

 hill, and mix with the soil before dropping the seed. This will be 

 found the best substitute for guano ever invented, and may be de- 

 pended on for bringing great crops of turnips, corn, potatoes, etc. 



Solid Animal Manures. — Of these, horse-dung is the richest 

 and the easiest to decompose. If in heaps, fermentation will some- 

 times commence in twenty-four hours; and even in midwinter, if a 

 large pile is accumulated, it will proceed with great rapidity ;" and, 

 if not arrested, a few weeks, under favorable circumstances, are 

 sufficient to reduce it to a small part of its original weight and value. 



The manure of sheep is rich and very active, and next to that 

 of the horse is the most subject to heat and decomposition. The 

 manure of cattle and swine, being of a colder nature, may be 

 thrown in with that of the horse and sheep in alternate layers. If 

 fresh manure be intermixed with straw and other absorbents (veget- 

 ables, peat, turf, etc.), and constantly added, the recent coating,will 

 combine with, any volatile matters which fermentation develops in 

 the lower part of the mass, Frequent turning of the manures is a 

 practice attended with nobenefit, but with certainty of the escape of 

 much of its valuable properties. Many farmers assign a distinct or 

 peculiar merit to the different manures. Much Of this opinion is 

 fanciful ; for. there is frequently more difference in the comparative 

 value of that from the same species, and even the same individual, 

 at different times and? under different circumstances, than from 

 those of different species. 



To Dissolve Large Bones for Manure without Expense. — Tr*' 

 any old flour-barrel, and put into the bottom a layer of hard-wo» 

 ashes ; put a layer of bones on the top of the ashes, filling the space 

 between the bones with them ; then add bones and ashes alter- 

 nately, finishing off with a thick layer of ashes. When your barrel 

 is filled, pour on water (urine is better) just sufficient to keep them 

 wet, but do not on any account suffer it to leach one drop ; for that 

 would be like leaching your dung-heap. In the course of time they 

 will heat, and eventually soften down so. that you can crumble, 

 them with your finger. When sufficiently softened, dump them out 

 of the barrel on to a heap of dry loam, and pulverize and crum- 

 ble them up till they are completely amalgamated in one homoge- 



