Covered Farm- Steadings. 



337 



racks. From the foregoing particulars it will be seen that the 

 manure thus made should have been about equal. 



During the winter of 1850-1 the manure in the open yard was 

 carted to the field selected for the experiment, and put in one 

 large heap of 200 loads, well pressed down by the carts driving 

 over it when emptying, and then covered top and sides with 

 earth and road-scrapings. It lay thus till a week before using, 

 when it got a turn over in the usual way. The dung in the 

 covered yard had been allowed to collect all winter, was carried 

 direct to the field, and put into the drills, without any turnings, 

 being quite well enough made for the crops intended. 



A field of 20 acres, of very equal quality, being a rich loam 

 lying on the trap, naturally dry, and in good heart, exposed to 

 the south at an elevation of from 80 to 100 feet above the sea, 

 was selected for the experiment, and divided into two equal por- 

 tions. The manure applied was at the rate of 20 cart-loads per 

 acre. The whole field was planted with potatoes ; the seed all 

 of one kind, from one field (Regents) ; planted first and part of 

 second week of April. All brairded well, and showed no differ- 

 ence in growth till the first week of July, when a decided supe- 

 riority began to manifest itself in the half of the field manured 

 out of the covered yards. The shaws on the portion of the field 

 manured by the dung from the open courts began to decay by 

 the latter end of July, and by the second week in August were 

 nearly all gone ; whilst the other portion of the field still retained 

 its strong dark green. The crops were taken up on the 1st to 

 4th of October, after two separate portions in each half had been 

 carefully measured and weighed, the result being as follows. 

 I may mention that disease showed itself more especially in the 

 heavy crop. 



Uncovered Dung. 



Tons. cwt. lbs. 



1st measurement. — 1 acre produced ... 7 6 8 of potatoes. 

 2nd measurement. — 1 acre produced ... 7 18 99 of potatoes. 



Covered Dung. 



Tons. cwt. lbs. 



1st measurement.- — 1 acre produced ... 11 17 56 of potatoes. 



2nd measurement. — 1 acre produced ... 1 1 12 26 of potatoes. 



As soon as possible after the potatoes were lifted, the field 

 was cleaned, ploughed, and (on the 22nd to 25th of October) 

 Fenton wheat was drilled in, at the rate of 3 bushels per acre. 

 The same portions of each half measured in the potato experi- 

 ment were marked off for trial with wheat. As soon as the 

 weather suited in spring the whole field got a dressing of 3 cwt. 

 of Peruvian guano per acre. During the winter very little 



