SECRETAHY'S REPORT 1^3 



the remainder, or perhaps three or more turnings may ho necessary 

 before the salt water will be received by the lime. This mixture 

 , ehoulcl alwajs take place under cover, as both the chloride of lime 

 and carbonate of soda are soluble in water. Tlie mass should be 

 turned over every other day for a fortnight, and it will then be 

 ready for use. We have dacomposed with this mixture spent tan, 

 saw dust, corn stalks, swamp muck, leaves from the woods, and , 

 indeed every variety of inert substance, and in much shorter time 

 than it could be done by any other means. Many soils are short of 

 chlorine and soda, and for such the salt and lime mixture is an 

 admirable top-dressing ; but its great use is in enabling the farmer 

 to prepare a large amount of material suitable for mixing with stable 

 manures as fast as made, and Avhich, during the fermentation of a 

 compost, is capable of absorbing the more valuable portions, and 

 thus be rendered equal in quality to the putrescent part." 



Muck prepared by the above method during our dry summers, 

 may be put under cover in such a state of dryness as to be handled 

 during winter. For the convenient storage of this article in quan- 

 tity, we suggest an addition to figure 4, which we will give without 

 a diagram. Attach to the front of the barn an overshot roof, project- 

 inof so as to cover sixteen feet in width. At the east end, in front of 

 linter, inclose a room sixteen by fourteen feet, and communicating 

 "with it, or, in other words, lengthen the linter room sixteen feet in 

 front. This space filled with prepared muck to the height of eight 

 feet, is fourteen cords. At the other end of barn, the open space in 

 front of hog pen might be inclosed and lengthened in front in same 

 manner ; or perhaps better extend the hog pen over the whole space, 

 in which case, the muck used as an absorbent under the ox stable 

 could be deposited through the barn floor. The committee believe 

 the few plans here offered, by being enlarged or diminished to suit 

 cases, will be adequate to present general wants ; and we may take 

 our leave Avithout infringing on our idea advanced at the outset, by 

 introducing plans of sheep barns, dairy barns, or structures to be 

 multiplied on the farm for special purposes. We have no ambition 

 to gratify by an attempt to make a picture book. 



Some fragments gathered up. 



In the plan figure 1, we like cribs for cows at least eighteen inches 



ahove the floor, built of hard wood ; the front of feed-box five or six 



inches high ; a rack set vertically in the line of the floor- way, and 



a swing-board at the floor side for feeding long fodder. The space 



