FALLOWING. 77 



ing". Troughs should conduct the water from the eves, 

 and every reasonable precaution shouid be used to pre- 

 vent the manure from being washed by rains. As soon 

 as the manure is cleaned out of the yard for spring 

 crops, if the cattle are to be kept in it at night, it should 

 be covered with litter, and a coat of earth, or mud ; 

 and as often as once in two weeks, a new coat of earth 

 should be introduced. In this way manure may be in- 

 creased in a four fold degree. Or every morning after 

 the cattle are turned out, the manure shouid be thrown 

 in one corner of the yard, and on this a load of earth 

 should occasionally be thrown. But if a yard is left na- 

 ked until autumn, exposed to our burning summer suns, 

 w^ithout litter or mud, or earth of any kiiid, to absorb 

 the essence of the manure, much the largest part will 

 be exhaled and given to the winds. Fresh manure should 

 be kept as careiully from the sun and rain as grass 

 which has been cut for hay. 



By keeping hogs in a large open pen during summer, 

 large quantities of manure may be made by a plan simi- 

 lar to that recommended for the barn yard. Mr, But- 

 lev recommends the sowing half an acre of clover on a 

 rich soil near the barn, to be cut green and fed to hogs, 

 as both cheap and profitable. Into the hog pen can ba 

 thrown coarse hay, pumpkin and potatoe vines, oorn 

 bottoms, husks, weeds of allkinds, &c. 



Application of manures. — A few ol;servations remain 

 to be made under this head, in addition to what has 

 been said on the various articles. 



Animal manure should not be suffered to ferment, 

 previous to its application, except in a very slight de- 

 gree. Mr. Davy says, it looses 60 parts out of 100, when 

 the process of fermentation is allowed to proceed unin* 

 terruptediy. A slight fermentation is undoubtedly of 

 use in the dunghiil, where there is a considerable col- 

 lection of straw, hay, &lc. for by means of it a disposition 

 is brought on to decay when ploughed into the soil, and 

 the work is more conveniently executed. Too great a 

 degree of fermentation is however very prejudicial to 

 compost manure in the dung hill ; it is better that tliere 

 should be no fermentation a- ail before the manure m 

 used, than that it should be carried too f\ir. There are 

 many arguments and facts which shew it is prejudicial 

 8 



