racks. From the foregoing particulars it will be seen that the manure thus made should have been about equal. During the winter of 1850-1 the manure in the open yard was carted to the field selected for the experiment, and put in one large heap of 200 loads, well pressed down by the carts driving over it when emptying, and then covered top and sides with earth and road-scrapings. It lay thus till a week before using, when it got a turn over in the usual way. The dung in the covered yard had been allowed to collect all winter, was carried direct to the field, and put into the drills, without any turnings, being quite well enough made for the crops intended. acre. A field of 20 acres, of very equal quality, being a rich loam lying on the trap, naturally dry, and in good heart, exposed to the south at an elevation of from 80 to 100 feet above the sea, was selected for the experiment, and divided into two equal portions. The manure applied was at the rate of 20 cart-loads per The whole field was planted with potatoes; the seed all of one kind, from one field (Regents); planted first and part of second week of April. All brairded well, and showed no difference in growth till the first week of July, when a decided superiority began to manifest itself in the half of the field manured out of the covered yards. The shaws on the portion of the field manured by the dung from the open courts began to decay by the latter end of July, and by the second week in August were nearly all gone; whilst the other portion of the field still retained its strong dark green. The crops were taken up on the 1st to 4th of October, after two separate portions in each half had been carefully measured and weighed, the result being as follows. I may mention that disease showed itself more especially in the heavy crop. Uncovered Dung. As soon as possible after the potatoes were lifted, the field was cleaned, ploughed, and (on the 22nd to 25th of October) Fenton wheat was drilled in, at the rate of 3 bushels per acre. The same portions of each half measured in the potato experiment were marked off for trial with wheat. As soon as the weather suited in spring the whole field got a dressing of 3 cwt. of Peruvian guano per acre. During the winter very little difference was apparent; but, shortly after the application of the guano, the crop on that portion manured by the covered dung took a decided lead, which it retained all summer. The whole field was cut the 26th of August, 1852; the portion manured by the uncovered dung being at least 4 days earlier than the other. As before, the two separate portions in each half of the field were measured, cut, and stooked, separately; on the 4th of September each portion was thrashed, the grain carefully measured, and the straw weighed. The weather having been rather wet, the grain was soft, and not in good order: this will account for the light weight per bushel. The light crop beat the heavy crop in quality by lb. per bushel. I have thus shown what I consider to be the advantage derived from having the whole building under cover, and the importance of compactness in the construction thereof. I now proceed shortly to explain some of the details of the internal arrangement. I begin with the steam-engine. There is no doubt such a power, where an abundant supply of water cannot be obtained, is of great value, and owing to railways there are few places where coals cannot now be procured, so as to render it advantageous to employ steam in connection with farm-buildings. I believe it to be still a disputed point whether it is of most advantage to have a moveable or fixed engine. When a man has two or more farms situated at a distance from each other, a moveable engine may be of advantage; but when this is not the case there can, I think, be no doubt that a fixed one is preferable. The question next arises as to the size of the engine. Considerable power, say 6 or 8-horse, is required to thrash and dress grain for the market, but there are few farms where it will pay to keep this sized engine constantly at work; and yet, properly speaking, there is not a day during 6 or 7 months of the year when the motive power is not required. This subject has given me much consideration; and I have come to the conclusion that it is better and cheaper to have 2 small engines of, say 3 or 4-horse power each, than 1 large one; the cost of the smaller engine is from 60%. to 751.-thus the 2 do not exceed, or even amount to the expense of 1 large one. I am confirmed in this opinion from hearing that, in a large factory, the owner has adopted the system of having several small engines instead of 1 or 2 large ones, saving thereby in erecting the machinery a great amount of heavy shafting, and also considerable expense in the daily working. A farmer would only require to work his 2 engines when thrashing grain, while 1 of them would do all he need on other days, and be kept constantly going. I find that a small engine in daily use consumes only 2 cwt. of Scotch coals per day, which can be procured here at about 8s. per ton; so that, including oil and repairs, the cost may be taken at 1s. 6d. per day. The man in charge attends also at the same time to the following machines: 1st. A turnip-washer, from which the turnips are taken by elevators to the cutters, falling, when cut, into the tubs and waggons ready, when mixed with the chaff, &c., to be conveyed away to the stock. 2nd. Chaff-cutter. 3rd. Corn-bruising machine. 4th. Cake-crusher. 5th. Pair of mill-stones. The prepared food from the 3 last machines falls into a store, the key of which is kept by the farmer; the steam from the engine is employed to heat a kiln for drying grain, heating water, and steaming food for horses and pigs. The only assistance the man who attends to the engine has is that of a woman, who supplies the turnip-washer with turnips, and who besides feeds and has the charge of a hundred sheep on boards. This peculiar system of feeding is very profitable, particularly in such a season as the last, when I have been able since November to feed and sell off 3 different lots of sheep, leaving an amount of manure ready for my turnip crop equal to a good cargo of guano. The cattleman, having the food thus prepared to his hand, has nothing to do but to put it into the waggon, which, by means of a railway, is easily conveyed to all parts of the building, and thus enables him (as I before stated) to feed and superintend a hundred cattle, being saved the cleaning out of the stalls, which is required when cattle are tied by the head. Economy of labour is by this means effected, in addition to the advantage derived by the animals, as the less disturbed cattle are when feeding the better. The boxes or courts are divided by round spars, or young larch trees, which I find answer best, being made to shift up and down by falling into cast-iron sockets. The boxes are sunk about 2 or 3 feet below the passage, and by means of the VOL. XIV. 2 A open |