236 



Farming of Cumberland. 



hills, whicli effectually prevents the waste occasioned by the 

 frequent rains to which this climate is so liable. He also pumps 

 the contents of the tank over them, and, by having the accumu- 

 lations regularly spread and mixed, fermentation is checked, and 

 the manure cuts out in excellent preparation for the crops. 

 Others have seen and estimated the benefits arising from these 

 roofs, and have copied the example. There is an advantage 

 attending the roofed dungheaps which has not yet been much 

 taken into account : with very trifling additional cost they form 

 warm and comfortable pig-yards and poultry-roosts, sparing the 

 cost of part of these erections in a separate form, while both pigs 

 and poultry assist in mixing and consolidating the ingredients, 

 and they suffer not a grain of corn or other edible seed to remain 

 in the mixture. 



The different kinds of farm-yard manures contain the various 

 ingredients of fertility in different proportions, and therefore 

 require to be mixed, otherwise the land might be, and often is, 

 unequally benefited, though receiving equal quantities of manure. 

 When the manures are applied in a well-mixed state, the crops 

 derive greater benefit from the choice. 



Manure is often carted out into heaps in the fields in winter, 

 and is partly mixed in that operation. Too often these heaps 

 remain uncovered till spring, during all the changes of weather, 

 and the contents suffer great waste both by washing and evapo- 

 ration. Fresh cow-clung sustains a loss of one-fifth of its solid 

 matter in about six weeks of ordinary winter weather, when 

 uncovered ; and horse-dung, by remaining exposed for two or 

 three weeks, usually loses more than three-tenths of its 

 weight. Two or three layers of soil in the heaps, and a covering 

 of a few inches of soil, is all that is actually needful for pre- 

 serving the greater part of the ammonia and saline ingredients,* 

 and these the most easy-drawn farmer may surely make up his 

 mind to apply. Farmers at a distance from the seaports have 

 double reasons for being careful in preserving the qualities of 

 their home-made manures ; they cannot have the cheap manure 

 which the Irish coal-vessels bring over as ballast ; nor can those 

 at a distance from any towns send their carts for the toAvn 

 manures ; therefore they have only their own resources to rely 

 upon, aided by guano and the more expensive preparations they 

 riskf the purchase of. Those near towns avail themselves 

 largely of their privileges in this way, and some are therefore 

 allowed to follow the five-year course. 



* The proportion of a quart of sulphuric acid to 1 6 gallons of water forms a 

 suitable sprinkling for a manure heap before covering up, to assist in retaining the 

 ammonia. 



.+ Nesbit has published a series of easy tests for guano, which any farmer may 

 apply. 



