4:08 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
to which wheat so quickly responds as thor¬ 
ough tillage, and it may be a question whether 
this should be done previous to sowing or after 
the grain is up. There are other interesting 
subjects for investigation before any one can 
speak with authority. The exact amount of 
seed per acre, though depending in a measure 
upon the kind of wheat and the character of 
the soil, may be nearly approximated. The 
distauce apart of the drills is another subject 
for experiment; 20 inches has been recommend¬ 
ed. It is difficult to cultivate between those 
which are much nearer, and no doubt the roots 
will fill the ground between them at this distance. 
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Shelter for Manure. 
The difference in value between sheltered and 
unsheltered manure is sometimes immense, and 
Fig. 1.—DIAGRAM SHOWING MANURE PIT. 
sometimes not very great. That which is suf¬ 
fered to become dry, very rapidly deteriorates, 
while that which is constantly moist or wet, 
(yet is never washed), and frequently receiving 
additions upon its surface, loses but a little, if 
any, part of its value. It is, in fact, under cover. 
Still, there is always a surface portion liable to 
become dry after fermentation and decay have 
taken place and ammonia is formed, in which 
case it would deteriorate. It is not alone to pre¬ 
serve animal manure that agriculturists advise 
that it be kept in cellars or under cover in some 
way. It rots faster, its decay is more easily 
regulated, and it is more easily composted and 
mixed with vegetable matter, and the fermen¬ 
tation which it induces in the mass is much 
more uniform. Besides, it becomes the breed¬ 
ing place and food of fewer maggots, etc. 
Old-fashioned barns all over the country may 
be seen disfigured by the dark (or light) stains 
of the regular winter dung heaps, which, year 
after year, have accumulated under the windows 
Fig. 2.— LEAN-TO MANURE PIT. 
of both cattle and horse stables. No doubt 
thousands of such barns are owned by readers 
of the Agriculturist , and we are frequently in¬ 
quired of how they may be conveniently modi¬ 
fied, and how the manure may be kept to best 
advantage outside of them. We suggest three 
ways. The barn may be raised 2 to 6 feet, and 
a cellar dug beneath, which would require the 
moving of 2 to 5 feet of earth to give a cellar 7 
feet high in the clear, which is low enough. 
To illustrate another way we have introduced 
a diagram, fig. 1, representing the cross section 
of an old-fashioned barn with cattle stables (a a) 
on each side of the floor. The floor is taken 
away; its place is indicated by the dotted line, 
b. A new floor (c) is placed some 5 feet above 
the old one, new posts being set, if necessary, to 
support the timbers. Under the floor a pit (in) 
is dug for manure. The cattle are faced to the 
outside aud foddered from the floor above. A 
raised approach is made for reaching the thrash¬ 
ing floor, and under it, or at the opposite end of 
the barn, is a passage gradually sloping to the 
bottom of the manure pit. The raising of the 
barn floor may necessitate the removal of the 
cross beams ( d ) above, and if this be done it may 
be desirable to brace the center posts in some 
way, as indicated by the dotted lines at e, e. 
Another, and the cheapest, and yet an efficient 
way is to build lean-to sheds along the sides of 
the barn, over a manure pit. This is shown in 
figs. 2 and 3. The old stains are seen on the sides 
of the building under the windows. The pit is 4 
feet deep, 12 feet wide, and as long as the barn. 
A slanting passage-way for carts in aud out, to 
save high pitching,is provided at one end. The 
pit Avails are laid in cement, and the bottom is 
a substantial grouting of stones aud cement. 
In the middle near the outside a hole is made 
about three feet Avide, by tivo deep, Avliich is ce¬ 
mented also, and covered Avith a stone. The 
floor slopes toivard this, and if there is water 
anywhere it will find its way here, and may be 
Fig. 3.—SECTION OF MANURE PIT. 
pumped up and spread upon the heap. The sides 
of the shed may be boarded down to prevent 
snow and rain blowing in, but it is usually the 
case that a moderate supply of Avater from with¬ 
out is needed, and must be added in some Avay. 
—-4 i.i n a-^- rr» —♦—- 
Winter Care of Fowls. 
Poultry keeping is one of the most fascinating 
of all employments to one who Avill devote his 
best thoughts to the business, and really love 
his foAvls, and geese, and ducks, and Avhatever 
else 'his yards may have. All varieties of barn¬ 
door fowls are more or less tender; they freeze 
their combs and feet, and if not in sound health, 
often freeze to death. In severe weather all 
their natural forces are directed towards keep¬ 
ing warm; growth ceases, egg laying and fat¬ 
tening cease, and of course the profit of keeping 
hens ceases also, so long as severe weather lasts, 
if Ave do not give sufficient protection. Good 
poultry houses have been repeatedly described 
in the American Agriculturist , and double walls 
filled with saivdust or tanbark, great green¬ 
house Avindows on the south or south-east side, 
arrangements for ventilation, and several of 
the most desirable appointments, as nest boxes, 
water fountains, roosts, etc., recommended. 
As winter conies on, Ave ought to be before¬ 
hand in preparing comfortable Avinter quarters 
for our foAvls. The old houses, if, as is usually 
the case, they are only frames boarded on the 
outside, should be lathed and plastered, or lined 
with matched boards, and the spaces filled Avith 
planing-mill shavings, sawdust, swamp hay, or 
some similar substance. The floor should he 
covered Avith several inches of dry sand, and 
the ventilating holes near the roof should be 
partly stopped, or shutters arranged so as to 
close most of them in very cold weather. Noth¬ 
ing is more important to the health of foAvls than 
pure air. Birds breathe Avith great rapidity, 
and maintain a corresponding degree of heat in 
their bodies; hence they vitiate great quantities 
of air. It frequently happens Avhen persons sup¬ 
pose they have taken the best possible care of 
their foAvls, but have neglected ventilation, that 
fine birds are found dead under the perches, 
Avhen no cause can be assigned. The foAvls on 
the upper perches become oppressed with the 
carbonic acid in the air, finally lose conscious¬ 
ness, and as soon as the muscles relax, they drop 
from their roosts in this condition, and are fre¬ 
quently stone dead or too far gone to recover. 
On this account it is Avell to have all the roosts 
rather low. For very heavy fowls, like Brah¬ 
mas or Cochins, they should not be over 3 feet 
high. The feet of foAvls never freeze Avhen 
they roost on broad perches, for then the 
feathers of the body cover the feet completely. 
Fires in poultry houses are not so absurd as 
they may appear at first thought. Wheu eggs 
are 5 or G cents apiece, it will pay to take some 
pains to have plenty. They may usually be se¬ 
cured by having the hens in warm quarters, 
but in unlieated houses three or four very cold 
days and nights Avill so chill the fowls that but 
feAV if any more eggs will be laid for a Aveelc or 
tAVO. This may be entirely obviated by having 
a stove in the chicken house, in Avhich fire is 
made on very cold nights. Fig. 1 is the ground 
plan of a fowl house, in size 20 x 12 feet, divided 
by a lattice Avork partition into tivo rooms, 12 x 
14 and 6x12 feet. The plan supposes two large 
Avindows on the south, roosts on the east, a 
feeding floor under the Avindows, and nest boxes 
on the north side. The little room is for en¬ 
trance, store-room, fire-room, and hatching 
Fig. 2.—SECTION OF FOWL-HOUSE. 
apartment for very early chickens. A pit to 
contain a small stove is dug 3x4x4 feet, aud 
entered by 'three steps. The pipe is of com¬ 
mon glazed drain tiles, and passes underground 
