426 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 2. 
rotten or partially decayed state, and the number of 
cattle kept on the farm totally inadequate to convert 
the straw into a manure worth cartage to the field. 
And this leads me to one of the most important points 
in the economy of the Farm-yard. It often happens 
that a large number of Sheep stock are kept, parti¬ 
cularly upon favourable soils, and quite sufficient in 
number to consume the whole of the root-crops grown, 
and also the far greater portion of the Hay produced 
upon the farm. Yet this as a system must be con¬ 
sidered, upon the whole, disadvantageous; for the profits 
of a farm ought to arise from returns in many direc¬ 
tions, and a sufficient number of either store, or fatting 
animals, should always bo kept in the farm-steading, to 
convert the straw produced into valuable manure; and 
for this purpose, at least twenty-five per cent, of the 
roots produced should be consumed by cattle, pigs, &c. 
There are, however, cases in which exceptions may 
be allowed—such as heavy land, where it is desirable to 
remove the whole of the roots from the land; and also 
in localities where there is an extensive sale for Straw, at 
a good price, a considerable quantity may then be dis¬ 
posed of and replaced by purchasing artificial manures 
of the like value with great advantage; this mode of 
proceeding alone can justify the consuming the whole 
root-crop by sheep on the land. 
The construction of the Farm-yard, the arrangement 
of the buildings, and the accommodation afforded for 
the cattle, must now be considered; and as it is too often 
the case that these are altogether insufficient to give the , 
occupier an opportunity of converting his straw into 
good manure, I intend to lay down a few general rules 
for guidance, whereby advantages may be obtained 
without any reconstruction or costly alteration of the 
buildings; and I consider this the more necessary, when 
it is remembered, that it often occurs, from the force of 
circumstances, that new steadings built upon improved 
principles cannot be obtained. 
First, let every building be spouted, and the water 
from the roofs carried away to some convenient place, 
where it cannot gain access to the Farm-yard and 
deteriorate the accumulating mass of manure. Let the 
Farm-yard be considered a store, or repository for 
manure, instead of, as formerly, a place to feed cattle 
in without shelter; and, previously to depositing manure 
in the yards, place at the bottom, peat, or loose earth, 
where such can be obtained, six or eight inches in 
thickness; this will absorb the drainage from the manure 
which may accumulate upon it. In placing the manure 
in the yard, let each kind be spread about the surface> 
in order that a proper admixture may take place; its 
value will then be equalized in all respects when 
required for use. I set no value upon a tank to receive 
the liquid which draws from the open yard; I prefer a 
rather long and narrow cesspool, kept supplied occasion¬ 
ally with loose earth &c., for the liquid-manure to run 
into, the sediment from which will be absorbed by the 
earth &c., which may be removed about twice a-year, 
and used as manure for pasture and grass land. I beg, 
however, to say, that in all cases where the Farm-yard 
is so situated, the drainage from the manure should be 
led on to pasture or meadow-land, for the purposes of 
irrigation, where a sufficient outfall can be obtained to 
distribute it with regularity. 
The next consideration is the accommodation for the 
animals when not allowed to lie promiscuously in the 
Farm-yard. My own practice is to allow separate apart¬ 
ments for each, or every set of animals, during the 
winter months. Thus, the dairy Cows have each a 
shed to lie in, 12 feet by 10 feet, and space in front of 
about the same extent; the Heifers, also, are kept two 
or three together, in a similar shed, but with a rather 
larger space in front. The breeding Sows have each a 
shed to rest in, and outer space for eating green food, 
the same size as the pens for the cows; and each farrow 
of store, or fatting pigs, are accommodated in the 
same way. 
In each and every instance, the pens are first covered 
at the bottom with loamy earth, about eight inches in 
thickness, and the manure is always allowed to accumu¬ 
late under the animals, upon the principle of box feed¬ 
ing, taking care to litter with straw daily, as cloauliness 
requires, and the accumulation is allowed to continue 
until inconvenience arises. The manure is then removed 
and spread over the farm-yard, or put into heap for more 
immediate use if required. 
As I do not intend these observations to apply 
to modern or recently-constructed buildings, I would 
here state, that in case further space is required 
for fatting cattle, good roomy boxes may be ob¬ 
tained by appropriating the corn mows of a barn; 
and it often happens, that in ancient farm-steadings 
much barn room may be dispensed with, and fitted up 
as cattle boxes at a trifling cost, and may be managed 
witli nearly the same facility and advantage as first-rate 
buildings. Joseph Blundell. 
(.To be continued.) 
WHAT A MOMENT MAY BRING FORTH. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers." 
Hitherto, I have sketched the history of persons in the 
more humble ranks of life as warnings or examples ; hut I 
am now going to set forth a warning taken from a higher 
sphere, to show that the Lord is no respecter of persons, 
hut that His just judgments fall alike on the high and low; 
and that there is a “ woe ” ‘‘ unto them that are mighty to 
drink icine," as well as beer, and to men of strength to 
mingle strong drink, “ whether they are rich or poor, learned 
or unlearned; for “ the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” 
We do not so often observe the miserable consequences 
of sin in the higher walks of life. It is more out of sight 
than amongst those whose bread depends upon the labour 
of their hands ; hut let my cottage readers be quite sure of 
this, that sin and folly reap as full a reward among the 
nobles of the land as among the peasants; perhaps even 
more so ; and that many a splendid carriage that dashes by, 
andmany asplendid mansion,where gold and fulness of bread 
are found, contain hearts as withered, and broken, and 
mourning, and diseased, as any of those starving in a 
desolate cottage, or confined within the walls of a union 
workhouse. 
Edward Fortescue was the son of a nobleman. His 
parents were both devoid of principle, and their manner of 
life sadly unlike what it ought to be amongst the nobility of 
