52 THE CULTUEB OF THE GEAPE. 



serve, that I have always applied this powerful manure, 

 (if I may so call it,) with great caution. I have found 

 the beginning of winter the most proper time for using 

 this kind of manure; and then I only venture to give 

 two or three plentiful waterings, fearing that, if this were 

 to be applied either in the spring or the summer, or even 

 in too great quantities^ it might tend, from its great 

 power, to cause the leaves of the vine to change from a 

 green to a yellow hue. The drainage of the duDghill is 

 the very strength and power of the dung ; for water, 

 constantly filtering tlirough stable yard dung, certainly 

 robs it of the mucilage and saline particles with which it 

 greatly abounds, when newly made ; and especially such 

 dung as has lain a considerable time in the stable, and 

 imbibed a large portion of the urine of the horses. The 

 saline particles are increased by the fermentation, there- 

 fore the first extract obtained from the dung, after it has 

 undergone its fermentation, may be justly considered as 

 the essence of the manure. 



" Although soils of different qualities admit of im- 

 provement by various modes of practice, yet, without the 

 aid of manure, the farmer would find his utmost exertions 

 of but little value. And though some have endeavored 

 to prove that the earth, when duly pulverized by the ac- 

 tion of the plough, does not require manure, (Mr. Tull, in 

 his New Husbandry, tells us that, where the ground is 

 properly managed, manure is an useless article ; but his 

 opinion is now generally and justly exploded ;) yet ex- 

 perience tells us that it is the very life and soul of hus- 

 bandry; and, when judiciously applied on almost every 



