i04 THE FARMER'S MANUAL* 



long dung in the spring to dress your corn and pota- 

 toe grounds. Let your barn-yard be furnished with. 

 separate racks standing in the open air; into these, 

 throw your loose straw when you feed out your clo- 

 ver in your cribs ; your horses and cattle will eat up 

 your straw clean in this way, and to good profit, by 

 passing alternately or successively from the cribs of 

 clover, to the racks of straw, and thus mixing them to 

 their liking, 



In stabling, it is of the first importance that your 

 cracks be battened, your windows and doors snug and 

 tight, your floors tight and secure, your mangers 

 strong and tight, that you may feed with carrots, po- 

 tatoes, or turnips, as occasion may require ; thus you 

 will have the double advantage of good feeding, and 

 warm stables ; both which are of the first importance 

 in good farming. 



If you cannot aflbrd the expense upon your barn- 

 yard as above, you may make cheap sheds for your 

 stock upon the sides of your yard as above, by set- 

 ting substantial crotches, at proper distances, as sup- 

 porters ; place such poles as you can conveniently col- 

 lect, upon your crotches, with others extending across, 

 with a gentle slope, or descent ; cover with coarse 

 hay, or straw, as is most convenient: a few boards, 

 of any quality, tacked upon the back sides, will 

 shield your cattle from the winds, and make a cheap 

 fence, at the same time. You may reserve from your 

 fences, when you repair them, such posts as are sound 

 at top, and have rotted oft' at bottom, and set with 

 these a crib fence three rails high, and of a suitable 

 width : they will stand well several years, and 

 make you the same saving of hay as the nicest cribs. 

 You may also construct straw racks in your yard, 

 by setting down two posts, with one rail fixed in tire 

 posts of a suitable height, and place a number of old 

 refuse, or broken rails, upon each side, alternately, 

 to rest upon the rail fixed in the posts, as a support- 

 er, and extending its whole length, fixing the bottu 



