J3S 



TIIK rAIlMi:R'S MA'IAZINE. 



or waste, and ihei) turn it loosscly U|) about three 

 weeks biforenpijlication. My opinion is, thnt dung 

 is most rich and vakiuljlc wlien it is in a llnee 

 fourths rotted state, that is, just before it loses the 

 strong decaying heat, which it generally acquires 

 about a fortnight or three weeks after lying loosely 

 up. Some may say, 10 carts of completely rotted 

 dung in a cold peaty state is much more valuable as 

 a manure, and has more substance in it, than 10 

 carts in the condition in which I recommend it ; this 

 is conceded, but that is not the question. Are the 

 10 cold dormant decomposed equal in value to the 

 30, or, in many cases, 40, from which, they were 

 reduced? I trow not. Nay, I am thoroughly jer- 

 suaded, from observation and experience, that 

 storing dung over the year is most wasteful and 

 imprudent. 



My own system or practice, to have dung at com- 

 mand for the demands of my farm, and up to the 

 extent of its ability in yielding or producing it (for, 

 be it remembered, I am in a locality where none 

 worth naming can be purchased), is to treasure up 

 all that can be scrapecl together, say from the begin- 

 ning of March to the beginning of June, for appli- 

 cation to the meadow lands ; then, my cattle — a 

 considerable portion of them at all events - having 

 access to a large open shed during the greater part 

 of summer, which shed is welllittered twice-a-week, 

 makes a very large quantity of excellent rich ma- 

 nure. This is carted into a loose heap, out of the 

 reach of the treading of the cattle, sometime rbout 

 the beginning of harvest, or on wet days during 

 harvest time, and is fully ready for application im- 

 mediately after harvest, when 1 commence to plough 

 my stubble. I have stated my land is not of the 

 description to admit the apphcation of dung to lea ; 

 consequently, as soon as all the available dung is 

 laid on to the stubble and ploughed in, 1 drop 

 ploughing stubble until I get more ready. Every 

 month I clear out my loose cattle courts, mixing it 

 loosely up with stubble and byre dung ; and thi.s, by 

 lying a fortnight, then turning over, and allowing 

 it to lie for another fortnight, is ready for use ; 

 consequently, a few acres of more stubble are got 

 turned over, and so on continuously during the 

 winter months, or until all the stubble is dunged. 



I need scarcely remark, that placing the dung 

 heap near the cesspool, and giving it a complete 

 and frequent watermg therefrom, adds very materi- 

 ally to the value of the manure. I have heard the 

 practice objected to, of allowing cattle to get into 

 courts during summer, as it is robbing the grass 

 fields of their valuable droppings, and especially 

 during hot weather, as then they are almost con- 

 stantly ill the courts, only taking a turn-out in 

 the evenings and mornings, to eat, and imme- 

 diately retire again under cover ; and even, whilst 

 parties don't go to the length of objectino-, still 

 they only admit it, when 1 talk of the valuable 

 dung I make m this way, that I was robbing Peter 

 to pay Paul. Now I grant I am doing so in 

 a measure and to a limited extent ; yet, if I can 

 persuade Paul that he is as well oil' at a certain 

 season of the year with 5s. in the pound as at 

 another with 20s., Peter, I think, will have no 

 cause to find fault with me when I present him 

 with Paul s full discharge. Whilst, however I 



advocate the application (;1 dung iu autuiiui and 

 winter, let it not be imagined I advocate the sowing 

 of turnips without anything in tlie stetch below 

 them ; no, far from this : this is the place and posi- 

 tion for the artificials, bones, guano, &c., to occupy. 

 In making up your stetches, make them equally deep 

 as for dung; then either sow the artificial, whatever 

 it be, broadcast or along the stetch ; it is of no 

 consequence which, as the resplitting of the stetch 

 sends the manure to the centre and bottom, imme- 

 diately underneath where the ycung seedlings are 

 to be deposited. Uf course, from its depth, it is 

 out of the reach of the young plant for a time, but 

 only for a very short time, and at a time too when 

 not required, as the land having been so lately 

 manured, either on the lea or stubble, is in a fine 

 rich state by the thorough decomposition of the 

 manure, and its complete incorporation of the soil; 

 this immediately pushes forward the young plant 

 into the rough leaf, and beyond the ravages of the 

 fly, and as soon as it catches the rough leaf, its 

 fangs may be assumed as clutching at the arti- 

 iicials. 



If, however, farmers are averse to change the 

 system of applying their farm-yard manure to the 

 roots of the turnip, then there is certainly no na- 

 tural necessity for their likewise clinging to the 

 wasteful and slovenly habit I haveobserved followed, 

 even by those from whom I should have expected 

 other and better arrangements. The practice I al- 

 lude to is that of stetching up, as is often the case, 

 an entire field, then dunging the half or the whole 

 of it, as the case may be, then spreading, or scaling 

 it, as it is called, then resplitting the stetch, cover- 

 ing in the manure, and last of all, and after a day 

 or two elapse, the turnip seed is sown. Now this 

 practice or mode of procedure I cannot sufficiently 

 condemn. In the first place, as is generally the 

 case, t!ie turnij) sowing season is the one when we 

 have the sun the hottest and most scorching; and 

 in the second place, we have often withering spring 

 winds, each of which are fitted almost to blast the 

 expectation of the turnip striking altogether. In 

 fact, I often wonder when I see the stetch seem- 

 ingly made up for the purpose of withering any 

 latent moisture that may be in the soil ; then, again, 

 when I see the dung first lying perhaps a few days 

 in the heap, then when sufi^iciently dried, spread 

 out along the stetch, to lia for a day or two longer, 

 in order seemingly to perfect its destruction. Then 

 comes the plough, as soon as both dung and land 

 are so baked as to be impossible for covering up, 

 and does its work : after which, and perhaps it may 

 be a week, the seed is deposited, and then the 

 slovenly and wasteful practice is ended. 



The remedy I propose for this rude, ])rimitive, 

 and wasteful jiractice is just the one universally 

 followed in every well-cultivated district, where the 

 dung is applied in the stetches to the turnips. 

 Whenever a field is ready for stetching up, then at 

 whatever side of the field you mean to start, let 

 twelve stetches be made for a beginning. It is al- 

 ways advisable to start at the side furthest from 

 home, or from the manure heaj), as by so doing 

 there are no loaded or empty carts passing and re- 

 passing each other, and often treading and tramp- 

 ling the finished oflT and sown stetches. Twelve 



