162 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
May* 
The most perfect way of composting muck, and, 
on the whole, about as cheap a way as any, is to 
have the planks of the cattle stalls just long enough 
for the animals to stand up or lie down upon, and 
immediately behind them let there be a trench, four 
inches deep and fifteen or eighteen inches wide. 
Into this trench, each morning, put a suitable quan¬ 
tity of muck, and all the liquid and solid excrements 
from the animals will fall upon it, and the whole, 
when thrown out, will be thoroughly intermingled. 
In this way, a very much larger proportion of the 
muck can be used than in any other, because all 
parts of it come into immediate and intimate con¬ 
tact with the manure-droppings, warm from the 
stock, and a powerful action at once takes place. 
A warm place may be provided in or about the barn 
to hold a number of loads at a time of the muck, 
and then it can be taken up on a wheelbarrow, and 
deposited in the trench. This may by some be call¬ 
ed extra labor; but it comes at a season of the 
year when it can be done about as well as not, and 
a compost thus prepared, will produce extra good 
crops, wherever applied. I did this kind of work 
with my own hands two winters; I found that it 
took, on an average half an hour longer, each 
morning, to do the ‘chores/ and I also found, in the 
spring, that my manure heap was very much larger 
and better by the means. 
If a cellar is not to be had, at reasonable expense, 
the compost may still be made in the trench, and 
thrown out at stable windows, in the usual way. In 
this case, it would be a matter of economy, in the 
long run, to build a shed-range in front of the sta¬ 
ble windows, to protect the manure from bleaching 
by storms, or evaporation by sun. 
If the idea of a trench seems too particular and no¬ 
tional a mode of farming, the planks of the stable 
floor may be laid with an opening of one-half inch 
between them, and so arranged that they can be 
readily taken up, and a laj^er of muck of 2 or 3 feet 
deep thrown under, to catch and hold the urine from 
the stables. In the spring, this will be found to be 
strong and good. The solid manure may be thrown 
out at the windows and afterwards mixed with muck, 
in the yard or in the field. If in the field, it is a 
good way to draw the muck to the spot where want¬ 
ed, and drop it in two winrows, as long as the heap 
is to be when done, with a space say of 6 or 8 feet 
between the winrows. Spread into this space, of 
the muck from each side, a suitable layer, and then 
drive up to the ends with the manure, and throw on 
a layer of it. Then another coat of muck and of 
manure and so on, until the heap is about five feet 
high,—the last layer being of muck. Two parts 
of muck may be used to one of manure. The heap 
should be laid up as lightly as possible, in order to 
promote fermentation. It should not be too high, 
for the bottom courses will not decompose, if too 
much compressed. 
In the spring, the bar . yard and sheds should re¬ 
ceive a good coat of muck, which should be occa¬ 
sionally plowed and worked over, and carted out in 
the fall, and another coat supplied. Each cow, 
yarded at night through the summer and fall, will 
prepare for use at least six loads of muck. The 
borders or one end of the yard may be the highest, 
so as to afford a dry place in a wet time, or there 
may be another yard for such times. If the yard is 
very large, it may be well to divide off a part of it 
for summer use, so as to concentrate the cattle 
droppings, and lessen their exposure to evaporation. 
I find that the compost prepared under sheds, is 
much stronger than that made in the open yard; 
and I strongly suspect that it would be economy to 
have more shed room than most of us do. 
The hog-yard must not be neglected. If possible, 
it should be so located as to receive the horse ma¬ 
nure, and the washings from the house. Muck 
should be added at suitable intervals, and the hogs 
will show a specimen of workmanlike and thorough 
composting,—paying particular attention to tossing 
about the horse-manure, and mixing it with the 
other materials, so as to prevent injury from burn¬ 
ing. Horse-manure, if left in a heap by itself, be¬ 
comes almost worthless by over-heating. 
Muck and unleached ashes, in the proportion of 
four or five bushels of the latter to a-half cord of 
the former, is a good compost. I have never failed 
of raising large, sound, mealy potatoes with a dres¬ 
sing of this kind liberally spread upon a light warm 
loam. This mixture also makes a capital dressing 
for grass ground. 
Muck and good fresh lime, in the proportion of 
five cords of the former to a hogshead of the latter, 
(my hogsheads hold seven bushels each,) is a good 
compost, for either corn, potatoes or grass. A lay¬ 
er of six inches deep of the muck is spread down, 
and the lime is slaked to a dry powder as fast as 
wanted, by sprinkling on just water enough for that 
purpose, and immediately scattered over the muck; 
then another layer of muck and of lime, and so on, 
till the whole is mixed. It is better to crumble the 
lime to a powder than to put it on in lumps, because 
it becomes more thoroughly intermingled with all 
the muck, and if slaked no faster than wanted, and 
if put on immediately, while yet warm, there will 
be heat enough to produce a powerful fermentation 
at once. The best of fresh lime is the cheapest; 
for it will make more than twice its bulk when dry 
slaked, and its action upon the muck is immediate 
and strong. 
In composting muck.with either lime or ashes, the 
best success will depend upon the care and precision 
exercised in mixing the ingredients. The layers of 
muck should not exceed six inches in thickness, and 
then the alkali will penetrate them in every direc¬ 
tion, and all acids will thus be neutralised. Com¬ 
plete fermentation will be the most surely secured 
if the heaps are made up in hot weather,—as every 
one knows. Whenever I want to use more manure 
than I can make with my stock, as is frequently the 
case, I had rather depend upon these two composts 
than to be at the expense of the purchase and trans¬ 
portation of manure from abroad. 
If the farm does not afford muck, other materials 
may probably be found, with which to save the vo¬ 
latile and liquid portions of the manure, as well as 
to increase the heap. The extra accumulations of 
leaves and vegetable mould in the hollows and at the 
foot of hill-sides in the forest, may be dug up with 
profit. I collect more or less of this material every 
year. In the latter part of November, and until 
snow falls, it may be dug up with stout hoes made 
for the purpose, and with a wheelbarrow, put into 
a heap or heaps convenient for hauling to the barn 
and yards, in the winter. It is so light as never to 
freeze more than two or three inches, and can there¬ 
fore be handled at any time. It may be managed 
agreeably to the directions heretofore given for the 
treatment of muck, with this difference,—being free 
from hurtful acids, it is much sooner fit for use. It 
would not be advisable to take off this vegetable 
mould indiscriminately; but there are places where 
it gets to be four to six inches deep, and if taken off, 
a sufficiency for the wants of the trees will soon ac¬ 
cumulate again. In such instances, the deposites 
are probably worth more to the tillage fields than to 
