ON MANURES. 31 



and retentive clays, it becomes locked up in the land, and its 

 fermentation is prevented. In order to bring- it into such a 

 state of decomposition as we have already stated, the informa- 

 tion which we have collected on the subject may be thus con- 

 densed. 



On most farms the yards are commonly cleared towards the 

 middle, or the latter end of April ; though in some this does 

 not prevent the work from going partially forward during the 

 winter, and thus preparing some of the manure in succession ; 

 at whatever period it may, however, be done, the following is 

 the most advisable method of proceeding. 



The most usual mode is to carry out the dung from the 

 yards, either to some waste spot adjacent to the homestead, or 

 into the field to which it is meant to be applied, and there to 

 leave it exposed to the weather, without any other preparation 

 than turning it over, until it be completely rotted, or else until 

 such time as it may be thought requisite to lay it upon the 

 land. The better plan, however, is to lay a bottom for the 

 dungstead, consisting of a bed formed of clay or sand, ditch 

 and road scrapings, marl, or any similar substance, which must 

 be well mixed and pulverized, and then spread to the extent 

 in length and breadth which it is supposed the heap will 

 cover, and from a foot to 18 inches in depth, but raised at the 

 sides and sloped to the centre, so as to absorb the liquor which 

 oozes from the dung during the heating and putrefaction which 

 always take place while it lies in the heap. The yard dung 

 is then carted out, and shot upon the bottom ; one end of which 

 is at first left lower than the other, in order to render the 

 ascent easy to the cattle — a practice, however, as we shall 

 afterwards see, which is not always to be commended. It is 

 then thrown slantingly up until the heap rises to four or five 

 feet above the foundation ; after which, careful farmers raise 

 a coating of the same materials as the bottom, a couple of feet 

 in thickness, which is spread round the heap to its full height : 

 or, when the mixen is raised upon the field in which it is 

 intended to be applied, the soil may be ploughed around the 

 heap, and plastered or faced up against the sides by the back 

 of the spade. The dung is then allowed to duly ferment, 

 which may be seen by its sinking, and easily ascertained by 

 thrusting a few sticks, of the common size of broom-handles, 

 into different parts of the heap, as well as by its steaming and 

 offensive smell, which, however, subsides when it is thoroughly 

 decomposed. Dark-coloured putrid water is also drained from 

 D 



