Sorry - couldn't resist it : for those with wood burning stoves!

[robgraham]

Again from Sciencedaily.com

[Terry Fields]

'Golden Night Water'....

TF

[GeorgeD]

the civil war, in the colonies, the southern ladies collected their urine to help the fight against the northern invaders.

Another use for saltpeter is fertilizer. Science Daily should paid more attention in history class.

[Gib Bogle]

Large Harvest. In fact the article that follows says that urine alone produces a bigger harvest.

[Jón Fairbairn]

But the scientific paper says that the dry biomass from urine+ash is significantly bigger than from urine alone. So the "bigger harvest" you mention is mostly water.

[Peter Scott]

Apologies if you aready knew this...

On the cliffs near Whitby there was once a factory that processed urine, in this case for alum for dying. The liquid was collected in cities and put in barrels to be taken by ship. They were hauled up the cliff well away from houses. The skippers were a bit embarrassed about their cargoes and used to say they were carrying something else. Suspicious people would say 'you are taking the piss', the origin of the modern phrase.

Peter Scott

[Peter Scott]

Should have spelled it dyeing of course, unless they fell off the cliff

[Man at B&Q]

Ravenscar