92 Covered Caitlc-ijards. 



other day ; llic liquid i.s llicii all alisovLcd by the straw. 'J'hc dung is good 

 and short, and fit to be drawn on to the land witliout the expense and waste of 

 making dunghcaps. 



" I consider this system of manure-making is also more healthy for the 

 cattle, as in open yards tlie liquid runs about emitting effluvia and tainting 

 the soil, whereas in covered yards it is all taken up by the straw." 



Mr. Chancellor says : — 



" The late Mr. James Beadel always stated, as the result of his lengthened 

 experience (and he might be considered as one of the pioneers of the system), 

 tliat one load of covered-yard manure was worth, moi-e than two loads of open- 

 yard manure. 



"Its tendency to get dried and heated has always been advanced as an 

 argument against covered yards by those who have not tried them, but I 

 never heard it used by any one who had. The truth is, it keeps infinitely 

 moister than in open yards in a dry season. I have often seen the manure 

 when being emptied come out like ' black butter,' and, with perhaps the 

 exceiJtion of the top layer, quite fit to put on the land," 



Mr. H. S. Thompson, says : — 



" When first I began to use manure made in a covered yard, it was put on 

 for white turnips in the usual quantity, and they were stimidated by it to 

 an imnaturally rapid growth and excessive size, which- were very prejudicial 

 to their keeping qualities. This taught me the lesson, which has since been 

 abundantly confirmed, that manure made under cover is fully one-tliird 

 stronger than that which has been exposed to the rains of winter in open 

 yards. Before trial it might be sujiposed that manure made under cover 

 would turn out drj^ and mo\ild}% but if the quantity of straw used is in reason- 

 able i)roportion to the numjber of live-stock kept, it will be invariably found 

 that the manure turns out in first-rate condition. The explanation is easy, 

 the most common cause of damage to manure being that the fertilising salts 

 it contains arc washed out by rain as last as they are formed by the decom- 

 position of the heap; and when tliese salts are all retained, the moisture will 

 be retained also." * 



The writer's experience fully bears out the above statements. 

 In the case of animals, alike in age and fed alike, but kept in 

 open or in covered yards, it is clear that the difference of value 

 of the manures they make will in a great measure vary Avith the 

 amount of rainfall, which not only, by its repeated washings, 

 deteriorates the quality, but also entails the necessity for large 

 additions of litter ; but on the whole, and under average circum- 

 stances, we believe Mr. Thomson's estimate of one-third increased 

 value will bet' ound to be a fair one. 



In a trial made on some meadow-land thoroughly exhausted 

 by many consecutive years of mowing, the following results were 

 obtained Irom the separate application of manure made in covered 

 and open yards :-— 



Uncovered Biukj. 



15 loads per acre produced lU cwts. 

 hay. 



Covered- Yard Ditiiij. 



15 loads per acre produced 25 cwts. 

 hay. 



* Trans. Yorkshire Agricultural Society, No. 24. 



