126 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



1. To bottom the farmyard with furze, fern 

 [brake], dry haulm [stubble, &c.], or any other loose 

 ivi'ii>t* that takes the longest time to dissolve ; and 

 over that to bed it deep with straw. 



2. To occasionally remove the cribs of store-cat- 

 tle to different parts of the straw-yard, in order that 

 their dung may be dropped and their litter trodden 

 equally. 



3. To spread the dung of other animals, when 

 thrown into the yards, in equal layers over every 

 part. 



4. To remove the dung from the yard at least 

 once, or oftener, during the winter, to the mixen.* 



5. To turn and mix all dunghills until the woody 

 or fibrous texture of the matter contained in them, 

 and the roots and seeds of weeds, be completely de- 

 composed, and until they emit a foul, putrid smell ; 

 by which time they reach their greatest degree of 

 strength, and arrive at the state of spit-dung. 



6. To keep the dung in an equal state of moisture, 

 so as to prevent any portion of the heap from be- 

 coming fire-fanged. If the fermentation be too rapid, 

 heavy watering will abate the heat ; but it will after- 

 ward revive with increased force, unless the heap be 

 either trodden firmly down or covered with mould 

 to exclude the air. 



7. To ferment the dung, if to be laid upon arable 

 land during the autumn, in a much less degree than 

 that to be applied before a spring sowing. 



8. To lay a larger quantity on cold and wet lands 

 than on those of a lighter nature ; because the for- 

 mer require to be corrected by the warmth of the 

 dung, while on dry, sandy, and gravelly soils, the 

 application of too much dung is apt to burn up the 

 plants. Stiff land will also be loosened by the unde- 

 cayed fibres of long dung, which, although its putre- 



* The place of deposite where ihe manure is heaped up and 

 mixed. 



