MANURES. 169 



BARN- YARD MANURE. 



298. First of all, put your barn-yard in the right 

 shape, if it is not so already. Let it be slightly dish- 

 ing in the centre, and a little elevated at the edges. 

 Turn from it the eaves of the barn. Let no water run 

 into it except what comes directly fronl the clouds, 

 and, if possible, let one-fourth of this be cut off by 

 sheds with their roofs turning outward. Above all, 

 let no water run out of the yard, not even downward 

 into the earth. How this last can be prevented you 

 will soon learn. It is not by puddling nor by flagging 

 the ground. It is of little consequence how tight or 

 how porous the yard is, if you are only a wise man ; 

 for in that case, you will turn either fault to a good 

 account. If the bottom of your yard be an impervious 

 hard-pan, it will hold your manure of course ; if it be an 

 open, porous soil, what you would call leachy^ you must 

 lower it several inches every time you clear it of ma- 

 nure. In this way you will carry to your lands the 

 salts of the manure, which would otherwise, in process 

 of time, be washed into the earth, in spite of my ad- 

 vice to let nothing run from the yard, even down- 

 wards. 



299. How are you to prevent water from running 

 from the yard downwards, if the ground be porous, 

 or from running over, in great rains, if it be imper- 

 vious ? Answer : You are to have great quantities of 

 absorbent vegetable matters always in readiness on 

 your farm. It may be of half-rotted straw, though, 

 if you are a thriving farmer, your stock will be likely 



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