1804. Thoii^:ts m the Application of Dung, 1^^ 



As faicl before, I am clear that all dung hid upon fummcr- 

 fallow ought to be fpreiid the moment it is pulled out of the 

 cart. It can at no other time be done {o well, or fo cheap ; 

 though, on many farms, finall ones erpecially:, where a full fup- 

 ply of hands are wanting, this beneficial practice is much ne- 

 glected. Three fpreaders, boys or girls, with an attentive overf- 

 man to follow up, and fupply any omifTions, are fufHcient for 

 one head of carts ; the number included in a head being regu- 

 lated by the dillance of the field from the dunghill. Some 

 farmers employ a perion, on whom they can depend, to draw the 

 dung from the cart, who has judgement to proportion it accord- 

 ing to circumllances, and is rerponfible for any failure in the 

 execution ; but the carter is the perfon ufually employed, though, 

 inilefs a boy is given him to drive, a very regular diftributicn can 

 hardly be expected. To infure accuracy in laying down, I have 

 ieen fields thrown into a dambroad figure ; and, a heap b^ing 

 drawn out into each iquare, you could have afcertained, to a 

 nearnefs, the quantity required for the whole. The great ob- 

 jetl, after a regular and economical diflribution, is to ihake and 

 part the whole completely 5 as, by minute iittention to this par- 

 ticular, a much greater etFe£l: is necelTarily produced. 



After the fallows are dunged, the remainder in hand is re^* 

 ferved for what may be called the intermediate dunging, gene- 

 rally beftowed either upon clover ftubbles, upon wheat ilubbles 

 previous to taking beans, or upon bean ftubbles before the feed 

 furrow is given for v/heat. It is obvious, that the farmer muft 

 often be regulated, in this intermediate dunging, by the weather 

 at the time, though it rarely happens but that dung may be got 

 out upon clover ftubbles at one time of the winter or other. 

 When applied to beans, a beneficial practice, the dung, as faid 

 above, is by fome people laid upon the wheat ftubble, and 

 ploughed down before winter ^ hence it is in full action in the 

 ipring, when tlie feed-furrow is given. Others make up drills 

 at feed time, depofiting the dimg in the intervals, as for turnips 

 or potatoes ; but it feidom occurs, that v/cather can then be got, 

 at ieaft on real bean foil?, for executing this management. 



It remains only to be ftatcd, that many arable farms, under 

 the ftridteft economy, are unable to furnifh fupplies for an in- 

 termediate dunging, at Ieaft to its full extent ; but perfons fo cir- 

 cumdtanced, have it always in their power to overcome this de- 

 fect, and preferve a regular rotation, by keeping certain fieldii 

 longer in grafs, which of courfe will yield weightier crops whea 

 broke up, and ftand lefs in need of manure during the after ro- 

 tation. As, for inftance, in a rotation of fix, and it is here that 

 |he greateft ftiortcomJng is felt, grafs feeds to a certain extent, 



