AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 



7& 



tiding food for vegetables, commensurate to the means of 

 every farmer of ordinary entcrprize ; and that my suggestions 

 may not be deemed theoretical, I will add, that 1 ' practise 

 what I preach.' 



The cattle yard should be located on the south side of, 

 and adjoining the barn. Sheds, substantial stone walls, or 

 close board fences, should be erected at least on the east and 

 west sides, to shelter the cUtle from cold winds and storms; 

 the size proportioned to the stock to be kept in it. Exca- 

 vate the centre in a concave form, placing the earth removed 

 upon the edges or lowest sides, leaving the borders ten or 

 twelve feet broad, of a horizortal lev^el, to feed the stock up- 

 on, and from two to five feet higher than the centre. This 

 may be done with a plough and scraper, or shovel and hand- 

 barrow, after the ground is broken up with the plough. I 

 used the former, and was employed a day and a half, with 

 two hands and a team, in fitting two to my mind. When 

 the soil is not sufficiently compact to hold water, the bottom 

 should be bedded with six or eight inches of clay, well beat 

 down, and covered with gravel or sand. ' This last labor is 

 seldom required, except where the ground is very porous. 

 My yards are constructed on a small loam, resting on a clay 

 subsoil. Here should be annually deposited, as they can be 

 conveniently collected, the weeds, coarse grass, and brakes 

 of the farm ; and also the pumpkin vines and potato tops. 

 The quantity of these upon a farm is very great, and are 

 collected and brought to the yard with little trouble by the 

 teams returning from the fields. And here also should be 

 fed out, or strewed as litter, the hay, stalks, and husks of In- 

 dian corn, pea and bean haulm, and the straw of grain not 

 wanted in the stables. To still farther augment the mass, 

 leached ashes and swamp earth may be added to advantage. 

 These materials will absorb the liquid of the yard, and, be- 

 coming incorporated with the excrementitious matter, double 

 or treble the ordinary quantity of manure. During the con- 

 tinuance of frost the excavation gives no inconvenience ; and 

 when the weather is soft, the borders afford ample room for 

 the cattle. In this way, the urine is saved, and the waste 

 inciaent to rains, &;c. prevented. The cattle should be kept 

 constantly yarded in winter, except when let out to water, 

 and the yard frequently replenished with dry litter. Upon 

 this plan, from ten to twelve loads of unfermented manure 

 maybe obtained every spring for each animal; and if the 

 stable manure is spread over the yard, the quality of the 



