78 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Agricultural teachers of early days have something to answer 

 for, since they dwelt upon the volatility of ammonia until the 

 puzzled farmer beheved that every smell proceeding from his 

 muck heap meant serious loss of valuable elements. We 

 remember when this was such a well-established point, that an 

 ingenious theory was devised to reconcile the good effects of 

 manure spread out and exposed for weeks on clover leys, in 

 preparation for wheat. According to this theory, the exposure 

 of manure, especially in a decomposed condition, to the action 

 of the air, would result in a frightful loss of ammonia ; but the 

 under surface of the clover leaves were believed to possess a 

 power of absorbing the ammonia, and so collecting it ere it 

 could be lost in the air. Such ideas have long since been 

 dissipated under the searching lights of modern science. Dr. 

 Yoelcker studied the practice of successful farmers, and experi- 

 mented to ascertain the scientific explanations, which he 

 presented to the world in some admirable papers published in 

 the " Journal of the Eoyal Agricultural Society." It is a 

 consolation to know on so good an authority that, with ordinary 

 care and management, manure may be manufactured and pre- 

 served without very serious loss, and this without the necessity 

 for a heavy outlay in covering over yards or making boxes. Let 

 us not be misunderstood. There are great advantages, as we 

 have shown, in making manure under cover; and were the 

 manure the only question, we should strongly advocate the 

 erection of covered yards, especially in situations where the 

 rainfall is considerable. 



We must see how far manure can be economically made in 

 open yards ; and this will depend in great measure upon the 

 construction of the yard. All surrounding buildings must be 

 carefully spouted ; the yard should not be large — 40ft. by 50ft. 

 is a good size, sufficient, with a proper shelter hovel, to accom- 

 modate ten beasts ; the floor should be made water-tight, and 

 should shghtly incline towards the centre ; the gradient should 

 be very small ; the yard as nearly level as possible ; the walls 

 and shed sufficiently high to allow of the manure accumulating 

 without risk of the stock knocking off the tiles of the shed, or 

 jumping the walls. Thus arranged, the absorption of liquid is 

 a question of litter. There will of course be times when, owing 



