98 MY FARM. 



the yard, 1 converted its lazy slope into two level 

 courts ; and so arranged the surface, that the flow 

 from the upper should traverse the lower one ; from 

 which, in turn, the joint flow of fertilizing material 

 fell through a few tiles in the lower terrace wall, upon 

 the head of a long heap of compost, which was or 

 dered to be always replaced, as soon as removed. 

 The leakage of the water trough being cured, its 

 overflow was conducted to the pasture below, where 

 the second overflow, for the stream was constantly 

 running, would do no injury, and would be available 

 as a foraging mudpool for the ducks. By this sim 

 ple re-adjustment of surface, and of the water flow, I 

 have no question but I fully doubled the yearly value 

 of the manures. 



I still further mended matters by carrying the 

 cow stables along all the northern frontier of the 

 yard, in such sort as to afford an ample sunny lee ; 

 and extending this new pile of building over the 

 eastern terrace wall, I gained an open cellar below for 

 my store pigs, who range over the ground where the 

 burdocks so thrived before, with occasional furtive 

 examinations of the compost heap which receives the 

 flow from above. 



I do not name this disposition of buildings and of 

 surfaces, as one to be copied, or as the one which I 

 should have chosen to make, in the event of a thor- 



