Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/180

160] will in a few years render his farm more valuable, by exterminating all noxious plants.

3. Sea-weed is a valuable manure for garden-grounds, and destroys every kind of vermin. The best is cut from the rocks on the sea-coast; but, as this marine vegetable is frequently thrown on shore, it may be useful to state, that the better kind resembles the haulms of peas; and the inferior sort is known by its long, shrub-like stalk: they may be either spread on the land in a fresh state, or previously laid up in heaps, and suffered to putrefy.

River, or pond-weeds, and especially the River-conferva, are equally beneficial; being particularly calculated for turnips or wheat, if ploughed in upon a sandy soil; but they produce no effect on land that abounds with springs, or is liable to inundation; the quantity laid on, varies from twelve to fourteen loads per acre.

Considerable benefit has likewise been derived from turning in vetches, buck-wheat, or rape, upon old-ploughed lands, which are thus greatly improved.—Turnips, when injured by the frost, may also be employed as a valuable manure; because they are believed to prevent the germination of the seeds contained in weeds, which enter the heaps of dung; and, when stirred among the latter, promote their putrefaction.

4. The  of fern, stubble, peat, &c. of which we have already treated in p. 126 of our first volume.

5.  is not sufficientiy known as an article of manure. It is usually employed in a burnt state, for a top-dressing; but, as it is formed of the solid parts of morasses, and consists of vegetable fibres, more or less decomposed, it may be laid on clayey sois with the greatest advantage.—Dr. remarks, that peat ought to be considered as an inestimable treasure to the farms in its vicinity: he suggests the propriety of throwing it previously into heaps, either with or without the addition of lime; then exposing it to the air, and draining the water from it, in order to expedite its decomposition.

6. -cake, which is obtained after expressing all the oily particles from rape-seed: it affords, when pulverized, an useful manure for wheat.—Rape-dust is equally serviceable as a top-dressing for turnips; and should be spread on the land in the proportion of 10 cwt. per acre.

7. The of, or rather 's waste, which has been suffered completely to putrefy, affords an excellent manure for cold, stiff, clay-soils; one load being more efficacious than a double quantity of the richest dung.—If oak-bark be designed for grass-land, it ought to be spread shortly after Michaelmas, that the winter-rains may wash it into the ground: for, if applied in the spring, it will burn the grass, and exhaust, rather than ameliorate the soil, for that season. On the contrary, if intended for corn-fields, it should be spread immediately before the last ploughing, in order that it may be turned down, so as to come in contact with the early fibres or roots of the corn; because, when lying too near the surface during the winter, it unnaturally hastens vegetation; and, with the approaching spring, the young buds of the grain will perish from the severity of night frosts.

III. consist of various kinds of earth, sand, chalk, marl,