BUILDINGS, AND THE MANUFACTURE OP MANURE. 65 



Vol. 1., N.S., E.A.S.E., 1865, considers that a beast in an open 

 yard would take 401b. of straw as litter daily — which, for a Deriod 

 of eight months, would be about 4 tons — and half that quantity 

 under cover. As has been explained before, the proportion will 

 depend greatly upon rainfall, but both estimates are much in 

 excess of reality. Taking one beast with another, we believe 

 that 201b. a day in open yards, and half that under cover will 

 suffice, and that the production of manure cannot exceed 1 ton 

 and 1| tons per month respectively. Dealing with mixed stock, 

 the average weight of excreta and straw under cover would 

 probably average 751b. a day, which gives close upon 1 ton a 

 month. If these estimates are correct, and assuming a period 

 of eight months* feeding, we have : 



£, s. d. 



Eight tons of covered yard manure, at 7s 2 16 



Twelve tons of open yard manure, at 3s. 6cl 2 2 



Total gain in manure per head 14 



Add saving in carting, turning, and heaping 4 



Saving in manure per head 18 



As bearing out these figures, better crops of potatoes have 

 resulted from ten cartloads of covered yard manure than from 

 fifteen cartloads of equal weight of open yard manure from 

 animals receiving similar food. 



2. Saving of Utter. — According to the figures given above, this, 

 during a period of eight months, will average about a ton per 

 beast. How much this saves in money value will depend upon 

 the market we have ; but, estimating only consuming price, it 

 cannot be less than 11. a head. 



3. Economy of food. — Upon this important question we have 

 no exact experiments to rely upon. Mr Moscrop states in his 

 essay, " That he proved in an experimental trial, that under 

 cover, animals, each of which had a separate box, gained as 

 much weight with something under one-eighth less food as 

 others fed with the same description of food, but kept in the 

 common form of court and shed, where the open part bore 

 to the shedding the proportion of four to one. The gain was 

 nearly Is. per head per week, which was entirely attributable to 

 the superior warmth, comfort, and repose enjoyed by the cattle 



