76 KEEPING cows. [No. 



den on, is a species of manure. Every act that tends 

 to neatness round a dwelling, tends to the creating 

 of a mass of manure. And I have very seldom seen 

 a cottage, with a plat of ground of a quarter of an acre 

 belonging to it, round about which I could not have 

 collected a very large heap of manure. Every thing of 

 animal or vegetable substance that comes into a house, 

 must go out of it again, in one shape or another. The 

 very emptying of vessels of various kinds, on a heap 

 of common earth, makes it a heap of the best of 

 manure. Thus goes on the work of reproduction; 

 and thus is verified the words of the Scripture, 

 " Flesh is grass, and there is nothing new under the 

 tun" Thus far as to the outset. When you have 

 got the cow, there is no more care about manure; 

 for, and especially if you have a pig also, you must 

 have enough annually for an acre of ground. And 

 let it be observed, that, after a time, it will be unne- 

 cessary, and would be injurious, to manure for every 

 crop ; for that would produce more stalk and green 

 than substantial part ; as it is well known, that wheat 

 plants, standing in ground too full of manure, will 

 yield very thick and long straws, but grains of 'little 

 or no substance. You ought to depend more on the 

 spade and the hoe than on the dung-heap. Never- 

 theless, the greatest care should be taken to preserve 

 the manure ; because you will want straw, unless you 

 be by the side of a common which gives you rushes, 

 grassy furze, or fern ; and to get straw you must give 

 a part of your dung from the cow-stall and pig-sty. 

 The best way to preserve manure, is to have a pit of 

 sufficient dimensions close behind the cow-shed and 

 pig-sty, for the run from these to go into, and from 

 which all runs of rain water should be kept. Into this 

 pit would go the emptying of the shed and of the sty. 

 and the produce of all sweepings and cleanings round 

 the house ; and thus a large mass of manure would 

 soon grow together. Much too large a quantity for 

 a quarter of an acre of ground. One good load of 

 wheat or rye straw is all that you would want for the 

 winter, and half of one for the summer ; and you 



