“23. If the animals have been supplied with plenty of litter, fresh dung contains an insufficient quantity of water to induce an active fermentation. In this case, fresh dung can not be properly fermented under cover, except water or liquid manure is pumped over the heap from time to time.
“Where much straw is used in the manufacture of dung, and no provision is made to supply the manure in the pit at any time with the requisite amount of moisture, it may not be advisable to put up a roof over the dung-pit. On the other hand, on farms where there is a deficiency of straw, so that the moisture of the excrements of our domestic animals is barely absorbed by the litter, the advantage of erecting a roof over the dung-pit will be found very great.
“24. The worst method of making manure is to produce it by animals kept in open yards, since a large proportion of valuable fertilizing matters is wasted in a short time; and after a lapse of twelve months, at least two-thirds of the substance of the manure is wasted, and only one-third, inferior in quality to an equal weight of fresh dung, is left behind.
“25. The most rational plan of keeping manure in heaps appears to me that adopted by Mr. Lawrence, of Cirencester, and described by him at length in Morton’s ‘Cyclopædia of Agriculture,’ under the head of ‘Manure.’”
[ CHAPTER XVI.]
AN ENGLISH PLAN OF KEEPING MANURE.
“I would like to know,” said the Deacon, “how Mr. Lawrence manages his manure, especially as his method has received such high commendation.”
Charley got the second volume of “Morton’s Cyclopædia of Agriculture,” from the book shelves, and turned to the article on “Manure.” He found that Mr. Lawrence adopted the “Box System” of feeding cattle, and used cut or chaffed straw for bedding. And Mr. Lawrence claims that by this plan “manure will have been made under the most perfect conditions.” And “when the boxes are full at those periods of the year at which manure is required for the succeeding crops, it will be most advantageously disposed of by being transferred at once to the land, and covered in.”
“Good,” said the Deacon, “I think he is right there.” Charley continued, and read as follows: