110 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



I shall take these under the several heads in which they are arranged, 

 and commence with 



SECTION 1. Farmyard Manure. 



This is made up of the excrements of the animals lodged in the farm- 

 steading, along with straw and the refuse of other food. It is usually 

 conveyed from each of the buildings where the animals are kept, and 

 thrown into the centre yard of the steading, and left uncovered ; but 

 sometimes it is protected from above by means of covered yards. There 

 are usually young stock in the yard that press the manure down in layers 

 as it comes from the stable, cowhouses, pigsties, &c. ; it is then removed 

 at convenience to the fields and thrown up in large masses, and there 

 allowed to decay until it is applied to the land. When the manure is 

 lying in the yard, it usually receives any rain which falls upon it, and 

 also all the drippings from the roofs of the buildings adjoining. How 

 often do we find a large amount of rain-water washing the chief fertilising 

 matter out of the manure ! and where there is no liquid-manure tank it runs 

 away to waste. The eaves of all buildings should be spouted, not only 

 as a protection to the walls, but as a protection against waste ip the 

 manures. The fall-pipes from the spouting should be conveyed into 

 drains, so as to take the rain-water away from the steading in the drains, 

 or, if necessary, preserved in tanks, but at least not allowed in any 

 way to flow upon the manure. The urine from both horses and cattle 

 should be conveyed in covered drains into the yard, and allowed to flow 

 into the mass of manure. There is no doubt that farmyard manure is 

 of the best quality in covered yards. It is always found to contain the 

 greatest amount of fertilising qualities when allowed to lie in covered 

 yards or boxes until it is required for the land. A liquid-manure tank 

 should be formed in connection with each farm-steading at its lowest 

 level in the farmyard, if desired to collect all the surplus liquid 

 which the manure cannot absorb. It is the practice on many farms to 

 make the tanks so as to drain off all the liquid from the manure-heap ; 

 it is, however, against the interests of the farmer to do so, as it makes 

 the yard manure many degrees poorer. The tank should be made in 

 such a position as it will only drain such liquid as the yard manure will 

 not absorb, and no more. 



In carting the manure into the fields to form it into heaps, the founda- 

 tion of the heaps should be laid with some dry substance that will suck 

 up the liquid which falls through the dung-heap such as peat, or the 

 dry portions of the farmyard manure ; and when the heap has been 



