22 ON BOX-FEEDIXG CATTLE. 



tlie part excavated, and intersected at distances of 8^ feet. 

 At eacli angle tlie brick-work should be 9 or 12 inches square, 

 which will both support the posts and afford strength and 

 durability. Upon the Avail a sill of wood is next to be 

 placed ; for which purpose large poles, either square or split, 

 are adopted. The foundation being now complete, posts (3 

 feet long, and the necessary sills and ties, may be })laced 

 upon it. Across the ties the most ordinary poles may be 

 laid to support a roof composed of the trimmings from hedges 

 and ditches, and completed with a thatch of straw or rushes. 

 Two gates must be added to each box ; one of which moves 

 on hinges, and the other to be secured at the top and bottom 

 sills of the building, so as to be taken down at pleasure. 

 Presuming that we have taken advantage of a barn, or other 

 walls or iarm premises, the external part is finished; the 

 internal has merely to be parted off with a few poles between 

 each box, and the passage separated by the cribs, which are 

 to move up and down between the interior posts, which are 

 placed upon the angles of each box, and support the roof on 

 the passage side. 



Such boxes as I have described, where advantage can be 

 taken of an unoccupied Avail (which ought to be from G to 8 

 feet in height), may be erected for 'SOs. each. These boxes 

 are 8|- feet square. From Avhat I have seen, I think that 

 they Avould be too small for our large short-horns; they 

 should be from 9 to 10 feet square. I Avould not recommend 

 them to be made larger than 10 feet, for if so the manure 

 Avill not get properly trodden down. Good strong substantial 

 boxes, back Avail 8 feet high, interior 10 feet square, and with 

 slated roofj can be erected in this neighbourhood for 3/. 15*'. 

 Each box acts as a small tank, the Avhole of the urine being- 

 taken up by the straw, or other absorbents ; such as saAvdust, 

 dry mould, &c. If cattle are ])roperly littered in this Avay, 

 the manure Avill only rise about o inches in a Aveek, it be- 

 comes comq)ressed into a hard compacted mass, turning out 

 about 5 or 6 cubic yards of manure, tAVO loads of Avliieh being 

 equal to three made any other way by cattle. 



I shall now proceed to describe the different things that 

 are required for making the " cattle compound." The only 

 apparatus required for carrying out the system is a linseed- 

 crusher, an iron cauldron, a hand-cup, a stirrer, one or two 

 hogsheads, two or three pails, and a wooden rammer. The 

 probable cost Avill be about 12/. Large cauldrons are found 

 inconvenient for stirring Avhere compounds are made AA-ith 



