Possibly spurious Samuel Adams quotation [RBBernstein]

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Mon Oct 7 17:18:56 UTC 2013


On Oct 7, 2013, at 1:11 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 12:25 PM, Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:
>
>> pulverised his bones, strewed them in the field, and turned them in with
>> the plough.
>
>
> An early example of recycling?
>
Or specifically composting:

1604   Shakespeare Hamlet iii. iv. 142   Doe not spread the compost o[n] the weedes To make them rancker.
1693   J. Evelyn Dict. in tr. J. de La Quintinie Compl. Gard'ner sig. Aiii,   Compost. Is rich made Mold, compounded with choice Mold, rotten Dung, and other enriching ingredients.
1803   W. Bingley Animal Biogr. III. 165   The neighbouring farmers made them [herrings] up into composts, and manured their ground with them.

Probably no herring around in Gettysburg in 1827…

LH

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