TIIK FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



437 



and upon them the conduits from the byers and 

 stables must play. After beinp^ thoroughly and 

 completely saturated, say for a few weeks, then let 

 the sluice or valve be uplifted (for I would have an 

 outlet from the lowest level, same as a mill pond), 

 for allowing the water to escape, and the mixture 

 to dry; and so soon as removable in a cart, then 

 away with it, either to the meadow or arable fields. 

 Here, if anywhere, is the place for the water cart to 

 be called into requisition. On lifting the sluice of 

 the cesspool, the waste water mi<<ht be distributed 

 by the cart over the meadows or pasture fields. I 

 am not, however, an advocate for the distributing 

 cart — not because 1 lightly value urine as a top- 

 dressing, but only because of the difficulty attend- 

 ing it, and the irregularity of its application. I am 

 aware it is, and has been practised to a consider- 

 able extent on many farms ; still, on the most of 

 farms with which 1 am acquainted, it has been 

 abandoned, for the reasons described. On the 

 other hand, were it used by being absorbed in the 

 cesspool, or compost heap, as recommended, there 

 is scarcely a farm where there are not abundant 

 materials for the absorption ; only it must be re- 

 membered, as already stated, that rain water from 

 the roofs of the houses, and the springs from be- 

 low, are not to gain admittance to it ; and were this 

 carefully attended to, I question much if a world of 

 unavailing deputations might not have been spared 

 repairing to Her Majesty's government, for the 

 purpose of urging them to use their influence with 

 foreign powers to give us artificial manures, guano, 

 and such like, at a cheaper rate. Another plan for 

 swelling the manure heap, is by rotting under and 

 around our animals a large portion of our straw. 

 I am aware a very extensive practice prevails along 

 these fell sides, of making all or nearly all the 

 fodder of the farm pass through the intestines of 

 the cattle. Of course there cannot be two opmions 

 that this is the ready way for getting straw short- 

 ened and rotted, fit for application ; but its being 

 the best plan for getting quality, must not be so 

 readily conceded. And most assuredly it is the 

 worst of all for producing quantity. Of those who 

 hold by the opinion that dung is best when all 

 or nearly all passes through the intestines of the 

 animal, I ask. What supported nature? Where 

 came the beef, bones, and muscle from ? It will be 

 replied the animal had turnips, oilcake, or grain ; 

 granted; but if these improve manure with scarcely 

 any straw or litter, they do it vastly more with it ; 

 and if none were given the anifnal fed on nothing 

 but straw, then there cannot be a doubt that the 

 animal has abstracted from the straw what sup- 

 ])orted nature, and to that extent, at least, reduced 

 its value as a manure. 



Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, it might afford a nice 

 subject for discussion some day or other, when we 

 are so much in lack of subjects, whether a ton of 

 chopped straw, that is, a ton of straw fresh and di- 

 rect from the chaff cutter, or a ton of straw eaten up 

 by an animal allowed notliing but water, would be 

 the most valuable to us as a manure. I might 

 touch upon another mode for enriching manure, 

 by the animal being fed on oilcake, &c. ; but this I 

 consider too expensive for general adoption. 



Heiving pointed out the simplest and most 



efficient ways of increasing the quantity and im- 

 proving the quality of farm-yard rrianure, I shall 

 now, as briefly as possible, direct your attention to 

 the best seasons for, and mode of its applica- 

 tion. And, here again, I require to make a digres- 

 sion, or at least to ask a question. What sort of 

 soil or class of land is the manure to be applied to ? 

 Is it land naturally inclined to produce straw in 

 what (to be understood) I shall call overabundance? 

 or is it the reverse? If the latter, that is, land 

 stinted in the ])roduction of straw, then to all such 

 apply the manure to the lea, immediately before 

 breaking up for crop. Land of this description, I 

 have always observed, when any plan or system 

 could be devised — and I kuf'W of none and have 

 practised none equal to the application of dung to 

 the lea — 'for increasing the bulk of straw, always, 

 and without any exception largely increased the 

 quantity of grain. On the other hand, if the soil 

 has a tendency to produce a large bulk of straw — 

 the land I farm is of this description — then, 

 upon no account must the manure be applied to 

 the lea, but to the stubble, at the fall of the year, 

 before giving the land the winter furrow. 



At this season there is not the scorching sun, and 

 rarely the withering winds we have about turnip- 

 sowing time, so destructive to ammonia, the most 

 valuable ingredient in dung ; and besides, it is 

 generally a period v/hen the day labourer, women 

 and boys, are in lack of employment ; consequently, 

 it will be a job for them to spread the manure, and 

 afford us the satisfaction of conferring a favour, 

 nay, a blessing, in an act that in reality costs us 

 nothing, but rather the reverse, for by it we have a 

 more equal distribution of hand labour on our farms 

 over all the year, and thus liberate a large avadable 

 force, at a very urgent and pressing season, for 

 eradicating twitch and other filth, so unprofitable 

 and so very discreditable to the agriculturists of 

 the age. 



Having given my opinion thus strongly in favour 

 of autumn or winter as the season for the proper 

 and economical application of manure, an objection 

 may be started, or question raised. How are we to 

 get it then ? This is not difficult to meet, in accord- 

 ance with a very common practice I have observed 

 in this neighbourhood, and that is, the custom or 

 habit of keeping a large portion of farm-yard man- 

 ure over the year. This practice I certainly, and 

 out-and-out, condemn ; still, as it is a practice, it is 

 better to turn it to a good account, by making it 

 available for a start. I have said, I condemn the 

 system of allowing manure to lie over the year. I 

 do so on the i^rinciple that all vegetal)le substances 

 exposed to atmospherical influence, and in a state of 

 decomposition, become sadly lessened in quantity, 

 and injured in quality, by allowing them to he over, 

 and thereby run to waste, or fly off in the air, what 

 should be absorbed by and in the soil. 



When, however, from any unforeseen or unavoid- 

 able cause dung has to lie over the year, then let it, 

 if lifted from the trodden court at all, be carted out 

 into a large heap, and the carts and horses when so 

 engaged go right on to the top of the heap, so that 

 it may be carefully pressed and prevented from de- 

 composition ; in this way dung may be preserved 

 for a considerable time without much deteriorj^tion 



