So. 2. 



Cattle Compost Yard. 



63 



[oubt, do to profit, or it would not be done at 

 ill by those who of all others are the most 

 ikely to have, at these converzaliones, ta- 

 len the time, the how, the when, and the 

 cherewith, as well as the cost, and value of 

 he labour, into account. There is no ques- 

 ion, that the business will be attended with 

 abour and expense, especially the bringing 

 nuck, &c, from a distance, " merely to 

 :arry it back again," besides the trouble of 

 nixing and turning over, as prescribed ; but 

 I fear that all this must be incurred and sub- 

 nitted to, before the advantages arising from 

 he system can be realized. So, it may be 

 veil to consult the cost before entering upon 

 he undertaking, for every practical man 

 mows that there is no " royal road" in the 

 tursuits of agriculture, as there, every one 

 trust earn his bread before he eats it. 



It is on this interesting subject that I am 

 empted to give some account of a late visit 

 vhich I made, partly induced by the men- 

 ion of your own excursion to the farm of 

 tlr. Benjamin Webb, near Wilmington, and 

 nainly with the same view, to examine 

 lis crop of corn for sugar making the pre- 

 ent season, of which, however, your own 

 escription renders further notice from me, 

 mnecessary. But while there, many things 

 truck me as well deserving notice, and es- 

 lecially the mode pursued in the preser- 

 ation of the dung and urine of the cattle 

 r ard; and which I will endeavour to de- 

 cribe, for my own edification at least. The 

 ow stables consist of two ranges of stalls, 

 etween which is a yard entirely roofed over, 

 br the reception of the dung of both ; the 

 tails being cleansed by throwing the dung 

 ut of the windows made in the sides of the 

 rail, and not out at the door; by which 

 he entrances are kept clean and neat. At 

 he end of each range of cow stalls, a cis- 

 ern is sunk into the ground to receive the 

 rine or drainage ; and when these are full, 

 he liquid matter is dipped out and thrown 

 ver the dung in the covered yard. A very 

 imple process, and attended with little la- 

 our or trouble, but by which the manure 

 eap is increased in quantity, and in quality, 

 hree fold. The cows stand on a wide and 

 ubstantial board floor or platform, which ex- 

 ends back several feet behind them, leaving 

 , very wide space for passage. It is Mr. 

 N ebb's intention to take up this floor, and 

 jrm a water-tight cistern under its whole 

 ength and breadth, and of considerable 

 .epth ; and in this receptacle to deposit muck, 

 ich virgin earth, weeds, &c, &c, so as near- 

 y to fill it; then to replace the floor, perforat- 

 ed with holes, through which the liquid por- 

 ions of the manure might descend and sa- 

 urate the earth, &c, and which when 



thoroughly impregnated, will be thrown out 

 on the dung in the covered yard, and in 

 the end be thoroughly turned up and mixed 

 with it ; and then will the cistern be ready 

 to be again replenished with muck, &c, for 

 further operations. Now, we are often told 

 to make our hogs work, but here a dairy of 

 about thirty cows are made to do the thing 

 most effectually, and neatly at the same time. 

 This appears a mode of saving a considerable 

 portion of the labour of the "compost yard," 

 in the periodical turning and mixing of the 

 ingredients, and for which, I, for one, feel 

 grateful, as it is my intention to avail myself 

 of its conveniences ; considering it of great 

 importance to the practical man. 



I shall not forget the many other lessons 

 of sound wisdom which I treasured up during 

 my short stay with this intelligent friend 

 and excellent agriculturist; on subjects mul- 

 tifarious, yet tending to the perfection of a 

 system of husbandry which must have cost 

 him many years of experiment, built on the 

 soundest principles of theory. In the all- 

 important subject of " cultivating no more 

 land than you are able to do effectually," he 

 observed, that he once owned a large farm 

 immediately adjoining that which he now oc- 

 cupies, which he sold, and purchased about 

 100 acres of impoverished land, expending 

 upon it in manure and necessary alterations, 

 a considerable portion of the sum received. 

 One of the fields, about ten acres, was so 

 poor, that his friends advised him not to at- 

 tempt to improve it, as it would never pay 

 the expense; but having put upon it, the 

 first year, purchased manure to the amount 

 of $50 per acre, this field at the gathering 

 of the third year's crop, had paid the whole 

 cost of the manure and the purchase money ! 

 The crops are now extremely fine, but he 

 is convinced that he has by no means reached 

 yet, the point at which a further outlay for 

 manure will not richly repay the expense ; 

 declaring that he is prepared to expend an- 

 other 500 dollars in an article which will, 

 at all times pay 50 per cent, profit ; while 

 land itself is never worth more than the 

 purchase money. In the true spirit of our 

 motto, therefore, he believes that " the pro- 

 ductions of the earth will always be in pro- 

 portion to the culture bestowed upon it." 



Mr. Webb has erected a few pannels of 

 fence after a new plan, which it is expected 

 will prove a saving to the country of many 

 millions of dollars. The posts do not enter 

 the ground, but are made to rest each on a 

 flat stone, and are fixed there by plugs of 

 iron half an inch square, one on each side, 

 let into the stone and fastened there with 

 lead, the upper part forming a bent point, 

 which is driven firmly into the post. If I 



