168 
Farmivg of Wiltshire. 
Manures. 
Sheepfold. — Of the different manures used by the South Wilt- 
shire farmers, the sheepfold stands first. It is not confined to 
any one crop, for the sheep are regularly folded all the year 
through, whether feeding in the water-meadows, on the artificial 
crops, or on the down only. In the winter and spring for barley 
and turnips, and in the summer and autumn for wheat ; "2000 
sheep are generally folded upon an acre. A general plan in this 
district is what is termed " muckle and folding," for turnips. A 
quantity of muck or litter is thrown over the land, and folded 
upon, in the early part of the Avinter ; and ploughed in, where it 
lies till spring. This has been proved to be a good preparation 
for swedes or turnips : the same plan is often adopted with good 
results for wheat. 
Farm-yard. — Farm-yard manure is not much economised, or 
very richly made in South Wilts, so few cattle being kept either 
as store-stock or for grazing. The principal part on some farms 
is made by the horses and oxen worked on the farm. Tliere are 
some who keep cattle in the winter to tread in the straw, and on 
which they are fed : some times a few swedes, if very abundant, 
are added. Some pay more attention to this than others, and 
regularly provide roots for their cattle in the winter, in order to 
improve the quality of the manure. It is usually ploughed in 
fresh from the yards. 
Liquid Manure, for two reasons, is entirely neglected at pre- 
sent, viz., the small number of cattle kept, and the homesteads 
being generally old and ill constructed for saving it. 
Bones, &c. — The introduction of bones as manure has proved 
of incalculable benefit to this district. As in all other places, 
where the soil is adapted to them, they are extensively used over 
a considerable part of it, particularly w here no other manure can 
be well applied, except the sheepfold. By the use of bones 
much of the light hill-land is brought into a good state of cultiva- 
tion. They are used for turnips only: 1(J bushels to the acre is 
thought quite sufficient. They are sometimes mixed with ashes, 
at the rate of 10 to 15 bushels of bones, and 20 to 30 of ashes. 
Guano has not yet been extensively used ; but from the trials 
made, and their results, it is likely to be more generally em- 
ployed. Nitrate of soda has been found a good top-dressing ; 
but it appears to have had its day, not being so much used as it 
w as a few years since. Lime is not very extensively used in South 
Wills, but there is an opinion in lavour of its application on some 
soils. Coal ashes are extensively used on the sand land, as a top- 
dressing for young clover : they are sometimes applied to sainfoin. 
