This would have been standard practise at one time. The manure suitably stacked, aged, sieved and mixed with garden soil and sand. Convenient plastic bags of potting compost have not always been available. ;-) 30 years ago my father (a gardener all his life) used to complain when I bought him bags of JI compost and it had grit in it. He often sieved it out before he used it. Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8-ish >________________________________ >From: B Spencer <bea.spencer@sympatico.ca> >To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> >Sent: Thursday, 21 February 2013, 0:09 >Subject: Re: [pbs] amarcrinum > >Well, I said I was inexperienced with this sort of bulbs. That is what an >old English book on bulbs said. Manure was dehydrated, from a bag and >supposedly composted. It did not smell. I can have the real thing if you >want. Lots of horses around. I would not even consider it though except on >the veggie garden and only after being exposed to the elements and worked >over by the neighborhood dogs (mine is contained by an invisible fence. I >joined the society hoping to learn from experts like you. What you people >know is intimidating. >