234 



Farming of Cumherland. 



is approved, and has been copied bj a few others in the 

 county. 



, , The following sketch will convey an idea of its construction : — 



Portion of Stack-yard at Gilgarron. 



The pillars of these erections are of cast-iron, the short 

 foundation pillars of stone, and the framing and roofs of timber. 

 The compartments are 16 feet long, gableways, by 13 feet wide, 

 and the cost of each 8/. 2s. 6c?. With wooden pillars instead of 

 iron, the cost would be about 305. less each. 



The inventor says, his stackyard, composed of 26 compart- 

 ments, " has been found to answer every purpose of economy, 

 compactness, despatch, and perfect security to the corn from 

 weather and vermin." 



Of course the dimensions of the compartments, whether for 

 hay or corn, can be constructed and varied according to cir- 

 cumstances. 



In the husbandry of old times, when the land was cropped 

 with corn year after year, and became unmanageable from the 

 excess of couch and other weeds, peas were sown, with the 

 triple view of smothering the weeds, improving the land, and 

 obtaining a crop where no other could be expected to grow. 

 We may fairly infer that the expectation would be frequently 

 disappointed in all the aims. No manure was given, and the 

 pea-crop was followed by oats, and laid to grass without seeds. 

 It would be singular if disappointment did not again occur. 



This most opprobrious of all recorded husbandry is now out 

 of date, and almost out of memory. The culture of both the pea 

 and bean crop is nearly abandoned, as unsuitable to a climate 

 where so much rain falls. 



Spring vetches are sown in small quantities over most of the 

 county, for horse-food in the spring or for dairy cows. In the 

 high-lying township of Birker, where most of the milk cows are 

 depastured on the mountains,* vetches are constantly grown and 



* Butter of the very finest quality is made from these heathy pastures. 



