t has been found convenient to establish a
dairy upon a large scale, for the purpose of consuming the refuse of
the grain. Seven hundred cows are kept there; and a profitable market
is found for their milk in the city of Glasgow. That the refuse of the
cow-houses might be applied to a profitable purpose, a large farm was
added to the concern, though of such land as an amateur agriculturist
would never have selected for his experiments. Thus there was a
complete system of economy at this distillery: a dairy to convert the
draff into milk, and a farm to insure that the soil from the cows
might be used upon the spot. But, as is so generally seen in this
country, the liquid part of the refuse from the cow-houses was
neglected. It was allowed to run into a neighbouring canal; and the
proprietors would have been contented to see it so disposed of for
ever, if that could have been permitted. It was found, however, to be
a nuisance, the very fishes being poisoned by it. The proprietors of
the canal threatened an action for the protection of their property,
and the conductors of the dairy were forced to bethink them of some
plan by which they should be enabled to dispose of the noxious matter
without injury to their neighbours. They could at first hit upon no
other than that of carting away the liquid to the fields, and there
spreading it out as manure. No doubt, they expected some benefit from
this procedure; and, had they expected much, they might never have
given the canal company any trouble. But the fact is, they expected so
little benefit, that they would never have willingly taken the trouble
of employing their carts for any such purpose. To their surprise, the
benefit was such as to make their lean land superior in productiveness
to any in the country. They were speedily encouraged to make
arrangements at some expense for allowing the manure in a diluted form
to flow by a regular system of irrigation over their fields. The
original production has thus been _increased fourfold_. The company,
finding no other manure necessary, now dispose of the solid kind
arising from the dairy, among the neighbouring farmers who still
follow the old arrangements in the management of their cows. The sum
of L.600 is thus yearly gained by the company, being not much less
than the rent of the farm. If to this we add the value of the extra
produce arising from the land, we shall have some idea of the
advantage derived by this company from havi