44 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



wide, and four feet deep, with a door on the back side, the 

 length of the cellar, swinging outward, and upward from the 

 floor, (the uuilding might be placed three feet from the ground 

 with an excavation of one or two feet on the back side, to 

 facilitate the removal of the contents,) the cellar supplied with 

 a cord of peat mud, once a month, and as often removed ; the 

 farmer, having a family of six or eight persons, might in thi& 

 way obtain a dozen cords of the most fertilizing manure, worth 

 on the farm, as manure usually sells in the larger towns, at 

 least sixty dollars. A great annual loss is sustained by farmers 

 through want of economy, in this respect. 



JOS I AH NEWHALL, Chairman. 



Richard P. Waters' s Statement. 



As no application has been made for premiums on " Experi- 

 ments on manure," I comply with your request, and state 

 briefly my own practice for several years past to increase the 

 manure heap. 



In the month of August or September, we get out from one 

 to two hundred ox cart loads of swamp muck, and lay it near 

 by in the pasture to remain for the winter. During the winter 

 and spring, it becomes pulverized by the action of the weather. 

 So that by the time our planting is over in the spring, it is like 

 an ash heap, and is then taken to the barn cellar, and yard, 

 both of which receive a good dressing from ten to twelve 

 inches thick. We then procure from Salem, two to four cords 

 of stable manure, and spread it over the entire surface of the 

 yard and cellar. We now let the hogs knock it over during 

 the day, for several months, scattering corn over the surface^ 

 which hiduces them to pretty active employment in working 

 over the compost. At night the hogs take lodgings in their 

 own sty, which communicates with the barn cellar and yard, 

 and the cows occupy the premises for the night. As soon as 

 the cows are put out to pasture in the morning, the hogs are let 

 into the yard again, and thus the work is constantly going on, 

 the hogs performing a good service by day, and the cattle en- 

 riching the compost during the night. We have now one hun- 



