16 AGRICULTUKE OX THE KHIKE. 



planatory observations into which our desire to point out 

 the position which he occupies in society has seduced us. 

 We return therefore to the farm at Goch as a good 

 illustration of our problem. 



The first study of every good farmer in Germany is the 

 local part of his task, the influence of soil and climate. 

 In the uplands of Cleves the climate is dry, and the sun 

 hot in summer ; the soil is strongly charged with lime- 

 stone ; cow -dung is found to answer better for winter 

 crops, or at least cow-dung mixed with horse-dung, than 

 the latter alone : for this reason oxen are kept as draught 

 cattle all along the Rhine. The dung-heap in the centi'e 

 of the farm-yard is the point on which the greatest care 

 is concentrated for good farming establishments. It 

 usually lies in a deep sloped pit enclosed by stone walls on 

 three sides, the bottom rising gradually to the level of the 

 yard on the fourth side, to allow of the approach of the 

 dung- cart : into this pit the drains from all the offices are 

 led, and waste of all kinds is thrown upon it. The plan 

 of stall-feeding, but especially the care taken to keep the 

 beasts clean (they are rubbed down every day like 

 horses), prevents their being allowed to tread the heap 

 down. Straw is likewise much economised, as it is used 

 to mix with the oats during the winter. The mixture of 

 cow and horse dung, with the flow of cold moistening 

 matter, prevents the fermentation that would otherwise 

 arise in the heap, and cause much of its value to evapo- 

 rate. After the fallow ploughing the manure is only 

 just ploughed in sufficiently deep to cover it ; top-dress- 

 ings are a good deal in use amongst good farmers for 

 grain crops. 



At Goch, as well as in other well-managed farms in 



