76 FALLOWING. 



If a reservoir is formed for the superfluoui? wash of 

 tlie yartl, large quantities of earth and Ut.er should be 

 thrown into it; for a compost, so collected, is an admi- 

 rable top-dressing for permanent grass land, or young 

 clover. The yard should be free from rocks, and sur- 

 rounded by a Viigh close fence. If the soil is not com- 

 pact enough to retain moisture, it should be beded with 

 clay six or eight inches deep, beat down compact, and 

 covered with gravel or sand, to prevent its removal 

 when manure is taken out. Before the commencement 

 of the foddering season, the yanl should be covered 

 with some kind of earth, to the depth of eight or ten, 

 or more inches, according to the num!)er of cattle. The 

 cattle should be strictly confined during winter, (except 

 to exercise occasionally, and not turned out, as is fre- 

 quently the case, into the pastures and meadows, by 

 which the making of much manure i prevented, great 

 injury in m.any situations done to grass^lands, and the 

 stock, from being much exposed to cold and other cau- 

 ses, benefitted in a far less degree than is commonly im- 

 agined. A well should be made close to the yard to 

 supply them with water ; this will save much manure, 

 prevent accidents, and in times of ice and snow prevent 

 the stock from suffering for drink as they often do, 

 when the owner is ignorant of it. Where the number of 

 cattle confined in a y;iri is considerable, it may be ne- 

 cessary, occasionally, to remove the bottoms, and the 

 matters littered upon them, to dung heaps, after they 

 have become blended with rich materials. These must 

 be immediately replaced by more earth, &c. 



As great waste is occasioned by the evaporation of 

 the more liquid parts of manure heaps, when exposed to 

 the sun or NVinds, and the wa«*hing of rains and melting 

 of snows ; it is sasr^este 1 that moveable coverings of 

 some light kind of materials be placed over them. Ma- 

 nures kept in this way are far more efficacious. If this 

 1-; not done, mining dry earth, or other absorbed substan- 

 ces with the heaps will assist in preserving them. Or 

 if the heaps are to remain some time exposed to the sun, 

 &c. they should be covered with turf 



It is an excellent practice to cover the whole surface 

 of the dung heap ^vith a light coat of earth every time 

 the stables are cleaned out, if there is no other cover- 



