The Application of the Manure of the Farm. 345 
either of the former will answer every purpose. Their general 
use will be found extremely remunerative ; for, whether the 
flock may be for breeding or feeding, the importance of one or 
two sides of each fold being thus sheltered will be very great. 
The dryness of the land is not so directly under our control ; for, 
although drainage will do much to improve it in this respect, 
still much more than this is in many cases required before the 
land becomes sound for folding ; and such land will generally 
render large folds necessary. If we prevent the flock selecting 
its own lair at night, it is alike our duty and our interest to pro- 
vide artificially that which they seek to secure naturally. 
The practice of folding not only influences the distribution of 
the manure, but in some cases — as, for instance, with the clovers 
and other growing crops — it increases the qiiantitij produced. As 
each portion of the field is successively folded off and cleared of 
stock, an immediate and uninterrupted growth takes place ; 
whereas, if the sheep have freedom to run over the entire field, 
they continue eating the youngest growth in preference to that 
which is older, and which constitutes by far the greater portion 
of the feed. It is needless to say that this mode of eating the 
crop must prejudice the growth during the time the sheep ai-e on 
the land. In the one case the growth is checked for a day or 
two ; in the other probably for four or five weeks, or as long as 
the crop in the field is being eaten. In consequence of the 
groAvth of herbage being more scanty, a smaller quantity of 
manure must be produced. This deficiency of growth is neces- 
sarily accompanied by a decreased absorption of fertilising 
matter from the atmosphere, which is one of the most valuable 
properties possessed by our clovers. The prejudicial influence 
resulting from the ordinary mode of feeding our crops of clover 
also has an important influence upon the quantity of stock which 
the land is capable of maintaining. The higher the productive 
power of the land, the greater will be the difference in the 
number of stock which can be carried under the two systems. 
In most cases one-half more stock can be kept equally well, but 
in other instances it has been more than doubled. 
A further advantage may be realised by taking advantage of 
the fact that plants are most nutritious just before attaining their 
maturity. If the supply of keep be so regulated that advantage 
can be taken of this knowledge, not only will the stock thrive 
better, but the manure made by them will be of superior quality. 
This system is well carried out by Mr. Hope, of Fenton Barns, 
whose practice is to cut his first crop of clover for hay, and to let 
his second growth come almost to maturity, and then feed in the 
rnanner spoken of. His experience is, that land so treated is as 
rich in condition as when pastured all the season without the 
removal of a crop of hay. This is no solitary testimony, and 
