Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-12-06


: heaps, in which the valuable liquids anC
S gases of different kinds of manure are alb
I sOrbed by earth, or some other substance
: and the whole brought into the condition
r of an active manure for the fields. Hith
{, erto, it has been customary to speak OF
: dung-hills, but there ought to be no such
l objects. The collection of manure from a
. barn-yard and offices, should form dung
l pit, not q dung-hM and the manner OF
: making and managing the contents of this
pit on the best principles is well worthy
our consideration.
FARM-YARD MANURE.
The situation of the dung-pit should be
near the stables and cow-houses, and placed
SO low that all streams of urine from them
should flow at once into it, SO that nothing
be lost. It may be three or four feet deep.
and of size proportiOnate to the stock of
cattle usually kept by the farmer. It is not
necessary that it should be built round with
a wall, OF have perpendicular descent, as
it may slope gently inwards and deepen
grad tally towards the centre. It should, if
possible, be covered by roof to prevent
the action of the sun. If the bottom found
firm, impervious, and capable of contain
ing the juices, no further trouble is req nis-
ite, and the work is complete !; in many in
stances however, it will be necessary to first
puddle with clay, and then line the bottom
with flag stones. into this pit, earth, with
refuse straw, should be brought and strew-
ed over the bottom and slOIing sides to the
thickness of from nine to twelve inches, and
this will form an inferior layer to absorb al
that portion of the liquid manure which
naturally runs to the bottom. The pit is
now prepared to receive all kinds OF animal
manure, which when brought, should al
ways be laid evenly over the surface. In
&1,,o, i l. l,
| III the course OF accumulation, Il young OF
wintering stock Of cattle is allowed to 90
at large upon the whole the animals be-
ing at the same time fed on proper allow
ance of straw. Care is also taken to mix.
in laying on, the dung brought from the
cow-house, stable and piggerles, so that the
rich excrement of the well-fed animals may
be incorporated with that of poor descrip-
ton from others. It is likewise of the ut
most Importance, though too frequently
neglected. to convey to the pit the entire
liquid refuse OF the barn yard, provided the
quantity be not SO great as to make it ad-
vlSable to have q separate pit for its receD-
| ton.
1t Is customary to cart away the material
| of the dung pit at convenient opportunities,
| (usually during the frosts in wnter) to a
place IN the fields, near where it is to be
used, and there pile it up in Il quadrangle
| lar heap of about four feet in height 1t
may, however, be stated, that for want of
attention to principles already explained
such ung-heaps, by exposure for months
to the weather, must lose some Of their val
liable properties. In every instance, the
dung heap in the fields should be placed in
a hollow situation, with substratum of
earth, and should have scattering of few
inches of earth over it and around the sides,
tO keen in the VOlatila
When the dung-pit has been thus emp
tied, it may again be progressively filled as
before, and when it is carted out in any Of
the spring months, it will be found neces-
sary to turn it once, or Oftener, for the pur-
pose of accelerating the decomposition of
the strawy part of the mass.
In some parts of Yorkshire the farmers
make their cattle eat great part OF the
straw, and in Norfolk they convert nearly
the whole of the straw into manure, by
treading and laying it out to rot No sys-
tenn is considered so impoverishing to the
land, in the latter county, as that of giving
straw for food, instead of applying it as
manure. A medium course is doubtless the
most approved, when it can be convenien-
tly carried into effect. Cattle getting straw
for both food and litter, will consume near
ly three-ffths of it as food, and there will
still remain a sufficient quantity to mix for
manure but if fed wholly on straw, al
though large dung-hill may be produced,
it will be found of less value.
When cattle get proportion of turnips,
and eat half Of the straw, leaving the other
half as litter, the manure will be pretty good.
If they are in the course of being fattened
upon turnips, or other food producing lax
dung and much urine, they will require
three-ffths of straw for litter, and these
proportions will produce good manure
Ferns, thistles ragweeds and other rank
growing plants, before coming into seed,
by being mixed in the dung-hill will make
good augmentation to it.
We have been led to recommend the for
nation Of dug-pits on the plan stated, both
from q general conviction of their adapta-
ton to the required purpose, and examina-
ton ofone constructed on the premises of an
eminent agriculturalist the late Mr. John
stone, of Hillhouse, few miles west from
Edinburg. Mr.. Johnstone at one period
had eighty COWS, and the quantity of urine
produced by them presented strong induce
ments for him to collect and apply it in the
most economic method possible. He there
fore dug out a dung-pit at a much lower
level than the COW houses, and the bottom
of it was paved with stones. The plan pur- |
sued is to lay good depth of earth, or
more generally moss, in the bottom at the
mouth from which the carts take away the
manure, large quantity of earth is also
laid, so that it may retain the fluid running
towards the corner part Of the pit. All the
dung of the premises is regularly spread in
the pit, and the urine, with other liquid
refuse, is conducted in wooden pipes direct
to the pit, by which none escapes in gut
terg. Besides there is large reservoir to
receive the overplus liquid, when the dung
and earth in the pit have been sufficiently |
saturated. Nothing in fact, is allowed to
be lost. When the dung is carted to the
fields to form heaps for future use, it is
there treated in corresponding style of
economy, on purpose to retain the moisture
and fertilizing gasses.
AS straw is the basis of farm yard dung
care should be taken to have it cut as close
to the ground as possible for it is evident
that few inches more Of straw will ultl~ |
mately increase the size of the dung-heap. |
It is calculated that for every ton OF straw,
three tons of farm yard dung may be OBJ
tanned, if properly managed The weight