50 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juny, 1898. 
Agriculture. 
LIQUID MANURE. 
_ By R. R. HARDING, 
Curator, Botanic Garden, Toowoomba. 
Tue earth in its uncultivated state is sufficient for vegetation, yet when by 
cultivation the land is as it were forced to produce a greater increase for the 
use of man, we cannot raise those rich and numerous crops, so necessary to 
the existence of the population of a civilised country, without affording the 
vegetable creation an artificial supply of nourishment. tis no less true in 
the vegetable than in the animal kingdom, that food must be proportioned to 
the population in order to maintain it. The mode which art has devised to 
increase the quantity of food for plants is to manure the soil, in some form or 
other, so that the primitive elements can enter into the vegetable kingdom. 
Dung or solid manures in many cases can only be supplied to the soil before 
the crop is planted or sown, as it could not afterwards be dug in without 
disturbing the roots. 
The Chinese, who are remarkably skilful in the management of manures, — 
are particularly careful not to waste the smaliest portions. Especially do they 
apply nightsoil in a liquid state to all kinds of plants. This manure, with all 
sorts of waste foliage, is put into a tank which is sunk in the ground, and here, 
in addition to the materials mentioned, they mix as much animal water (urine) 
as can be collected, or common water, to dilute the whole; and when it is in a 
state of putrefaction they apply it to the soil, steeping all their seeds, and 
dipping the roots of all young plants before planting into this liquid manure. 
Loathsome as this may appear, yet when we consider it as the means which 
Nature employs to renovate existence, and continue the circle of creation, we 
must think of it with admiration rather than disgust. The operations of 
Nature are always admirable; these elementary substances, which in their 
simple state would be disagreeable to us, by passing into the vegetable system, 
are converted into the most palatable and nutritious. Jt is a common thing 
in England for gardeners to arrange with dairymen for a constant supply of 
animal water from their cowsheds. ‘his is used for all kinds of plants at the 
rate of one pint mixed with two gallons of clean water, and they consider this 
is one of the most effective of liquid manures. It is incalculable how many 
valuable materials are wasted in this colony, which would have given vigour to 
vegetation. This animal water forms an exceedingly powerful manure, 
containing various principles which, during putrefaction, yield large quantities 
of ammonia, which likewise contains many valuable ingredients of the food of 
plants. The composition of this water varies in different kinds of animals and 
in individuals of the same species, and a good plan, where this water is lying 
near the sheds, is to dump some sawdust or charcoal into it, which absorbs it, 
and is easily removed. The green slime of ponds and all stagnant waters make 
very rich manure; they are considered storehouses of materials ready to return 
into the vegetable kingdom. 
That water charged with manurial elements has a powerful influence upon 
vegetable life, is so well known to those who cultivate plants of almost every 
description as to require no affirmation, yet there is often a wide difference of 
opinion amongst those who are soengaged as to the value of the different liquid 
fertilisers or stimulants generally used, some maintaining that it is better to 
apply manure in a solid state, and that the majority of liquids so used are 
