MANTTBEB. 159 



cut all the weeds, that are thrown in, before their seeds have 

 ripened. With the leaves may also be put in some cattle drop- 

 pings, saw-dust, ashes, a little quicklime, &c. The contents of 

 the pits shoTild always be kept thoroughly saturated, but never 

 allowed to become too watery, otherwise air could not penetrate 

 all through the mass and decomposition would on that account be 

 retarded. The pits should hence be protected from rain. For 

 watering the pits slops are better than clean water, and liquid 

 manure is obviously the best of all. From time to time, say once 

 every month, the contents should be well turned with a pole, in 

 order to allow every portion to be sufficiently oxygenated ; and it 

 is to facihtate this process that the pits should not be deeper than 

 three feet. At the end of the second or third year the decomposi- 

 tion will be complete and the vegetable mould fit for use. When 

 this stage of decomposition is reached, all trace of organised 

 structure will have disappared. It is superfluous to add that a pit 

 should be filled up in a single operation and that no fresh leaves 

 and plants should be thrown in from time to time afterwards : 

 every portion of the contents of the pit should decompose simulta-- 

 neously and uniformly. 



The leaves of some plants decompose sooner or yield a richer 

 manure than others. Such plants should be preferred. In each 

 locality experience will soon show which are the best plants to use. 

 In a general way it may be said that the suitabiKty of the leaves 

 and other plant-parts is in inverse ratio to the quantity of fibres 

 they contain and in direct ratio to their succulence. 



9. Weak composts. Composts are simply mixtures, in vari- 

 ous proportions, of strong manures or weak organic manures with 

 earthy matter. They are weak or strong manures according as 

 the proportion of this last is large or small. The earthy matters 

 are introduced not only to modify the physical characters of the 

 soil, but also to temper the otherwise too energetic action of the 

 strong manures and to prevent a too large concentration of soluble 

 substances, whereby the moisture in the soil might be rendered too 

 thick to be taken up by the plants by endosmose. Composts, into 

 the manufacture of which vegetable mould enters, may be prepared 

 at once in the rotting pits, by throwing in with the leaves, &c, or 

 at any time afterwards, clay or loam or marl ; the repeated stir- 

 ring up of the contents mixes together the earth and organic ele- 

 ments intimately. Perhaps the best and most economical compost 

 is a mixture of vegetable mould and farmyard manure (see next 

 page) with loam. The addition of a sufficient quantity of cattle 



