502 = 236 Practical Agriculture. 
and draining that takes place, neutralising the good gained by 
making the manure under cover. Now, I have met the difficulty 
by not allowing one bit of straw to be placed in the yards foi 
litter without first being put through the litter cutter, and cul 
into about 6 in. in length ; and this, I am convinced, is an abso- 
lute necessity for the proper making of the manure. After twc 
years' experience of the plan, against the cost of cutting up th( 
straw, which is done by hand, I gain these advantages— th( 
yards are littered more evenly and regularly, and not so muct 
straw is used ; while, in emptying the yards, a great saving o: 
labour is gained, because the manure is forked out so mucl 
more easily, and it is ready to be carted on to the land direc 
from the yards, and all the wasteful and laborious carting i 
into a heap, to be rotted and washed by the rain, is saved. 1 
think there can be no doubt that the manure made under covei 
must be more valuable than that made in the open yards ; how 
much more valuable I am not prepared with any comparative 
figures to show ; but the fact that all the valuable fertilising 
matters are neither diluted by the rain nor drained away mus 
improve the quality." },» 
Mr. Howman's covered-yard premises cost about 2500/. ; an( - 
taking the increased value of the 750 tons of manure made ii 
the year, as compared with open-yard manure, at 3s. per cubii 
yard, this amounts to an improvement, or saving in the manun 
of 112?., or nearly 5 per cent, on the cost of the buildings. Hi 
considers this a sound basis on which to estimate the sum ; 
tenant can afford to pay to a landlord for erecting a covere( 
homestead. The comparison here is with open-yard manur 
badly managed. But there is no doubt that at least a ton o 
straw per head of cattle wintered is saved in covered homesteads 
and this is a gain of 21. 10s. to 3/. per head, — say in one season 
125Z. to 150/. upon fifty beasts. For straw is a commodity o 
high value in England, and it is permitted to be sold off mos 
farms within easy distance of towns. » 
Mr. Howman observes, truly enough, that " it is not at al 
necessary to pull down all the present buildings and to rebuili 
on new lines, as has been done in his case ; but yards as the 
exist at present might be covered over, and so arranged tha 
they could be worked in with the buildings with little or n 
alteration ; this could be planned and carried out by the estatjg|«. 
carpenter or builder, and the cost would not be so great as tVBt 
frighten landlords, who would have to find the capital, or th 
tenant, who would have to pay the interest." In fact, th 
tenant could afford to offer such a percentage to the landlord a 
would be an inducement to him to invest in such an improve 
ment. 
I 
