10 



HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL. 



which become blood and flesh and solid bone, are not 

 allowed, even during life, to remain inactive. They 

 have no sooner performed the office assigned to them 

 than they are discharged from the body ; and in the 

 liquid and solid excrements of both men and animals 

 we discover the mineral materials contained in the bread 

 and beef, the seeds and roots, which had composed their 

 food," — Liehig. 



" By the Belgian farmer the value of the liquid and 

 solid excrements of an individual is estimated at £1 17 /- 

 per annum, and so carefully is every trace of these 

 manures collected in the towns, that the public authori- 

 ties are relieved from all the expense and trouble which 

 in this and other countries are incurred in the removal 

 of nuisances. In China also, which has preceded us 

 in so many of our boasted improvements, strict laws 

 are enacted for the careful preservation of human ex- 

 crements." 



What has just been stated of the valuable fertiliz- 

 ing qualities of human excrements, and the importance 

 which is at present attached to their preservation in 

 other countries, may, it is to be hoped, induce farmers 

 here to give greater attention to these manures. Their 

 offensive odour may be removed, and their value as 

 manure increased, by adding to them coal or wood 

 ashes, or sawdust moistened with a solution made by 

 dissolving the substance called "Green Vitriol " 

 (sulphate of iron) in water. To fix the ammonia in 

 urine, add ten drachms of sulphate of iron to each 20 

 gallons. 



The "earth closet system" presents this valuable 

 manure in the most inoffensive and portable form * and 

 it should be largely used. 



It has been proved by chemical, analysis that the 

 various crops require the constitueiits of the soil, in 

 different proportions, for their proper growth, which 

 will account for the advantage derived from rotation 

 of crops, and also explain why some experiments have 



