Mr.  Hannam  on  Waste  Manures. 
441 
and  the  delivering  tubes  so  arranged  that  the  water  may  be  made  to  flow 
into  the  yard  or  not,  at  the  option  of  the  farmer.  This  may  be  effected 
by  bringing  the  end  of  the  spout  over  a drain,  which  may  be  left  open  or 
closed,  "as  he  may  wish  the  water  to  escape  from  the  yard  or  not. 
“ 2.  Let  the  farmyard,  if  possible,  be  made  slightly  concave,  so  that  the 
liquid  may  permeate  the  mass,  and  make  to  the  centre. 
“ 3.  Make  drains  from  every  stable,  cowshed,  &c.,  and  from  the  kitchen 
into  the  manure  yard. 
“4.  Select  a shady  place,  if  possible  on  the  north  side  of  a hedge  or 
wall,  where  it  is  convenient  to  cart  the  manure  to,  when  it  is  removed 
during  winter  and  spring  from  the  fold.  Mark  out  a surface  sufficiently 
large  to  hold  in  a heap  all  the  manure  made  during  winter,  and  form  a 
compost  couch  of  this  size,  and  two  feet  deep.  Divide  this  couch  into 
three  sections,  by  two  rows  of  flags  or  bricks.  Make  the  bottom  of  each 
couch  incline,  so  that  the  liquid  from  the  manure  may  gradually  fall  to  the 
front  side. 
“ 3.  Next  cut  a drain  alongside,  and  in  front  of  the  couch,  with  an  inlet 
from  each  division,  through  which  the  liquid  may  flow  into  the  drain,  and 
fix  a sluice  at  each  inlet. 
“ 6.  Make  a capacious  tank,  on  any  convenient  side  of  the  couch,  and 
connect  it  with  the  drain  which  runs  alongside  the  couch,  so  that  the  liquid 
from  the  couch  may  run  into  the  tank. 
“ 7.  Make  a drain  from  the  bottom  of  the  farm  yard  into  the  tank,  and 
fix  a sluice,  so  that  the  liquid  from  the  yard  may  be  let  into  the  tank  or 
not,  at  pleasure. 
“ 8.  Fix  a pump  over  the  tank,  and  connect  the  nozzle  with  a wooden 
spout,  fixed  so  as  to  traverse  above  each  division  of  the  couch. 
“ 9.  Bore  a hole  through  the  spout  over  each  section  of  the  couch  ; in 
each  hole  put  a plug  on  the  top  side  of  the  spout;  also  over  each  hole 
affix  on  the  under  side  of  the  spout  a leathern  nozzle  or  delivering  tube, 
two  or  three  feet  long ; by  means  of  which  arrangements  the  liquid  from 
the  tank  may  be  directed  to  any  part  of  the  couch. 
“ These  arrangements  may  be  made  at  a slight  expense,  in  almost  any 
locality,  and  worked  with  little  trouble  by  the  farmer,  so  as  to  give  him  a 
perfect  command  over  his  manure ; that  is,  to  enable  him  not  only  to 
preserve  the  fertilizers  which  are  usually  wasted , and  to  concentrate  them  in 
the  form  of  compost  or  otherwise , at  pleasure ; but  also  to  make  and  preserve 
this  compost  for  any  length  of  time,  in  whatever  condition  he  may  think  fit. 
“ Thus,  to  prevent  waste,  the  process  is  as  follows  : — The  liquid 
drainage  from  the  sheds  and  house,  which  is  not.  wanted  in  the  yard,  and 
also  that  from  the  manure  when  carted  out  of  the  yard  into  the  couch,  is 
collected  in  the  tank.  One  section  of  the  couch  forms  a place  of  deposit 
for  all  vegetable  refuse  which  can  be  gathered  together ; while  gaseous 
waste,  arising  from  too  active  fermentation  in  the  cattle-yard,  may  be  pre- 
vented by  the  power  which  the  spouts  and  sluice-drain  give  us  of  keeping 
the  manure  dry  or  wet  at  pleasure  ; for,  be  it  remembered,  that  while  a 
little  moisture  encourages  decomposition,  a liberal  supply  prevents  or  re- 
tards it,  and  also  absorbs  a large  portion  of  the  ammonia  which  is  evolved 
during  the  decomposition  which  does  take  place  ; for  ammonia  and  all  its 
compounds  are  easily  soluble.  When  therefore  the  manure  is  led  out  of 
the  yard  by  placing  it  in  one  section  of  the  couch,  we  can,  if  we  wish  the 
manure  to  be  kept  fresh,  have  a liberal  supply  of  liquid  from  the  tank,  and 
can  let  it  remain  in  the  couch  as  long  as  we  think  fit,  by  keeping  the  sluice 
at  the  junction  of  the  couch,  and  the  drain  which  leads  to  the  tank,  closed. 
By  carting  over  the  heap,  making  it  as  solid  as  possible,  and  covering  it 
up  with  ashes,  charcoal,  peat,  earth,  or  any  other  absorbent,  the  loss  of 
