SECRETARY'S REPORT. 225 



Every morning the manure of the horses, oxen and cows, is 

 carried from the stables and wheeled, in wheelbarrows, upon 

 the platforms ; there it is spread in layers regularly with the 

 fork. 



The sheep manure is carried out of the pens every three 

 weeks, in winter, and every six weeks in summer. This warm 

 manure is carefully spread in alternate layers with that from 

 the pig-sties. Tiie heaps are raised to a height of nine feet. 

 The upper part is covered with a layer of earth to prevent evap- 

 oration, and to concentjfate the gas generated by fermentation. 

 The heaps are watered with the liquid accumulated in the 

 trenches or cisterns, whenever it is necessary. 



"When the manure has come to its normal condition, the vol- 

 ume of the heaps has been reduced about one-third, and the 

 cubic yard weighs about 1,690 pounds. There are 260 cubic 

 yards to the heap. The number of these heaps made yearly 

 is twelve to fifteen. 



When the time has come to carry out the manure into the 

 fields, the precaution is taken to cut it down with a manure 

 knife in slices perpendicular to the platforms, in such a manner 

 that the upper layers are mixed with the lower layers upon the 

 cart. By this very simple mode the manure is equal and 

 uniform upon the whole field. I examined this process with 

 care, and its economy, where the labor is at command, 

 appears to be proved by experience. The same mode could 

 be adopted in many of our barn cellars, where much of the 

 labor of wheeling would be saved. 



There is also an implement manufactory established as an 

 aid in the courses of engineering and rural construction. It 

 furnishes the students the tools which they have learned here to 

 use, while many farmers rely upon the Grignon manufactory 

 for the tools in general farm cultivation. They say they have 

 orders from the centre of France, from Portugal, Spain, Algeria 

 and America, though I do not think we have occasion to order 

 largely. At the World's Fair of 1855-6 the Grignon plough 

 was the lightest of all, and took the great gold medal. 



The tools made there, and used on the farm, are ploughs, 

 and the gang ploughs, double and triple, are in high repute, 

 harrows, cultivators, horse-hoes and scarifiers, rollers, seed- 

 sowers, root-cutters, liquid manure pumps, carts, &c. 



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