402 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 7 



in FPiiiv.h of ixrairifs of corn, bils of SweJish lur- 

 ni|)s=, iiiiil other lijoJ, by wliich inenns the luiUiure 

 ill the yjir.l btico'ues iniiniately inleiinixcd, aiul is 

 I'roporlioniilly incre.'u^cc! in Viihie. 'I'hc Ifciliiig 

 lriiiiii!:s !\ii(l cribs in tiie ynrd shouiii (lor obvious 

 r.'iiions) bo siiilied lirqueiitly. 



The stars neat cattle are also kept in yards by 

 iheinselvc?. The manure arising liom ihoni is ol' 

 a very interior (b'scription, and il Ireqnenily bap- 

 1 ens that a puperabnniiaiice of straw is thrown 

 mil of the barn iU one time, more than thes1oci< 

 in liie yard can tread down properly: besides, 

 ihere is "not now tiie same inducement for pigs to 

 root the s:ra\y aboat in the yard as there was pre- 

 vious 10 the introduction of thresliinir machines. 

 The b.irn door in llie store cattle yard is now the 

 jiriiicipai attraction for pigs, and ihey in a great 

 measure neglect tlic other parts of the yard, unless 

 •where the siock of pigs kept is so large that they 

 are compelled, by the imperious law of necessity, 

 10 seek out lor their sustenance in a more distant 

 and less productive station than iminediateiy at 

 llie barn door. 



Tlie horse dung is usual!}' thrown out at the 

 Ftable doors, and there accumulates in large lieaps: 

 it is sometimes spread a little about, but more 

 peneraily not at all, unless where necessary for 

 tlie convenience of ingress and egress, or periiaps 

 to allow the water to drain away from the stable 

 door. Horse dung lyin<r in such heaps, very soon 

 leriiients and heats to an excess: tli^' centre of tlie 

 lieap is liiirned or charred to a dry white substance, 

 |)rovincialiy termed fire faaged. Dung in tiiis 

 state loses from 50 tu 75 per cent, of its value, 

 'i'he diliizent and attentive llirmer should guard 

 iiijainsl such profligate waste of propcrl}'. 'I'he 

 remedy is easy, viz. by never allowing the dung 

 111 accumulate in any considerable quantities at 

 tlie stable doors: suppose it was an csiabiisheu 

 rule thai every day, as soon as the yard-man has 

 gone throuirh his regular routine of morning's 

 work, such as foddering cattle, feeding pigs. &c. 

 he should lake a horse, or some other draught I 

 animal, with a light cart, and remove the horse | 

 dmig iiom the stable doors, and spread it about 

 Ihesfore cattle yards. To this plan will be ob- 

 jected the pleas ot" trouble and expense: in an- 

 ewerlhaveto say, irowfc/c should never be con- 

 sidered by industrious farmers; and I think I can 

 readily prove, there will be no additional expense 

 in carrying the plan into efTect. The yard-man 

 having finished liis morning's work oi'foddeiing 

 cattle, feeding pigs, &c. seldom does more than 

 idle about the yard, and leaning upon his fork until 

 the s;ock refjuire a second supply of food. His 

 spare time would be more beneficially employeii 

 in reniovinrr the horse dung, which, at most, would 

 not be more than half an hour's job of a day. 

 'i'hcre generally is, or always ought to be, about 

 every firm premises, a light cart, for what is called 

 oi'.djobs. These carts will be very suitable for re- 

 moving the horse dung ; and as to animals (odraw 

 those carls, there are few fi\rms -without having 

 one cr more idle horses, or other beasts of burden, 

 upon the ostablishmenl ; such, for instance, as a 

 fivoriie old hack-horse, a mule or ponj'^ to carry 

 the errand boy, a mare that has a Ibal, or a horae 

 llltle lame, and not fit for constant work, an old 

 working ox turned off" to fatten, a bull, (where 

 one is kept) a little gentle work would do him good, 

 insomuch it would keep him more quiet in the 



pasture ; or even suppose the master or misiress'a 

 gig horse was used occasionally for half an hour 

 of a day at dung cart (when not otherwise want- 

 ed) would be of great service in so fur ;is keep- 

 ing the horse in regular exercise, and liy that 

 means prevent liital accidents which liequenily 

 happen where high-spirited gig horses are not 

 kept in constant e.\ercise. 



The dung from the fi;eding hogstiesshonid also 

 be carted and spread about the s fore cattle yard 

 in the same manner as the horse dung. 



Opinions are much at variance as to the proper 

 fijrin of dung yards : some theorists recommend 

 the yards to be made so much concave as almost 

 to amount to a well shape, giving as a reason in 

 suppori of their opinion, that lite virtues of dung 

 can only be preserved by beingsaturated in urine, 

 or some otlier moistuie. Others again assert, 

 that dung yards should be formed convex, and 

 assign as their reason, in supfiort of that Ibrm, 

 that fiirm-yard dung should be kept dry. Practi- 

 cal experience points out that a medium between 

 those two extremes is the best, and a yard a little 

 liollowed is the most common shape. 



Miiidi has been said and written upon the sub- 

 ject of the valuable properties of urine, and of 

 the weepings of farm-yards, as manures for grass 

 land. It has been recommemled to collect tho 

 whole wash of llie fiirm-yard in reservoirs, and to 

 convey it from thence into the fields in water carls; 

 but this theory should not be reduced into prac- 

 lice unless it is conjectured that the benefit to be 

 derived liom the manure so conducted covers the 

 expense. 



If is a good method (where situation will admit 

 of the practice) to coiled the wash of fiirin-yards 

 into tanks, where a body of water can be thrown 

 into it suflicient to effectually irrigate some adjoin- 

 ing piece of grass ground, situate upon a lovver 

 level. It is also an advisable method to throw 

 litter, sconrings of ditches, and such other refuse 

 into the tanks, in sufficient quantity to absorb the 

 urine and wash off the yards which run into them. 

 Compost, so collected, is admirable top dressing 

 for peraianent grass lands, or for young clover 

 lays. 



But to revert to the subject of farm-yard dung: 

 it is acommon practice (previous to the dung being 

 drawn out of the yards into the fields intended for 

 turnips) to prepare what are called good bottoma 

 for the recception of the muck. This is done by 

 collecting considerable quantities of da}', marl or 

 such other material, in heaps where the dung is to 

 be placed — these bottoms are formed to the squares 

 (length and width) of the intended dung heaps, 

 and are from 12 to 18 inches thick. This in dono 

 with an idea that the juices of the dung will des- 

 cend into the bottoms. (The fallacy oi' such rea- 

 soning will be pointed out hereafter.) The bottoms 

 being prepared in the fields, the dung is then car- 

 ted to them li-om the yards : in this operation, tho 

 materials of the bottoms is pressed down veryclose, 

 by reason of the cans constantly turning upon 

 them when delivering their loads ; the carts are 

 tipped up. and the dun^f shot out. Men are placed 

 at the heaps, who throw the dung up lightly 

 with forks to the height of five or six feet making 

 the heaps (o cover the square bottoms previously 

 formed. In clearing the yards, it is customary to 

 begin on one side of a yard, going regularly for- 

 ward, until it is emptied, and then begin on a 



