SUPPLYING THEIR NEEDS. 31 



cart load each. Now, you have piles of earth nearly dry, 

 but they will not grow any drier until placed so that 

 moisture cannot be absorbed from below. To complete 

 the drying, platforms of boards, Fig. 6, must be pro- 

 vided ; these are 8 ft. square and built wedge-shaped, 

 and 14 in. high at the highest part. These are now 

 drawn thick end first by the team upon the planks 

 which form the sides and serve as runners, and located 

 one by each heap with the thin edge toward it. 



Attach the team to the shovel by a rope about 12 ft. 

 long, and transfer the earth to the platforms, heaping 

 the first shovelful upon the edge next the pile to cover 

 it, so that it may not obstruct the shovel. The plat- 

 forms should be on the north side of the heaps at the 

 commencement, so as to slope toward the south, and 



FIG. G. PLATFORM FOR DRYING EARTH. 



afford direct exposure to the sun. In two or three days of 

 fine weather the piles will be nearly as free from moisture 

 as if kiln-dried, if the earth has been well pulverized, for 

 it is so loose and porous that the moisture from the bot- 

 tom finds its way to the surface as fast as the latter 

 dries. If the weather becomes threatening, house the 

 earth without waiting for further drying, or cover with 

 hay caps, according to circumstances. When ready for 

 housing, draw the wagon close to the nortji side of the 

 platform, and connect the two with a skid, 5 ft. by 14 

 in., with teeth projecting over the body to hold up the 

 shovel, and let the earth drop through. The same 

 length of rope between the horse ia#4- shoveL^will be 



