brought 1s. 3d. per fall, although the drills were a half foot narrower, and consequently, more length of drill in the area. It is proper to mention, that one year when green manure was applied in drills of twenty-seven inches, the weeds were imperfectly covered, and dry weather succeeding, the experiment, as far as the turnips were concerned, was a complete failure; but the subsequent crops bear testimony to the excellence of the manure. Any green foggage that may be had in August and the early part of September, ought to be ploughed in in the last furrow for fallow wheat.

A very powerful manure, of which too little notice is taken, occurs in the stems of potatoes. This very succulent article is almost always allowed to dry and bleach on the surface of the ground, or is driven to the bottom of the cattle-yard, where the juices sink, and are lost. About the middle of October, potato stems are frequently found to contain a large quantity of vege table juice; and at that advanced period of the season, it is time to be securing the valuable crop of potatoes. Where the stems are luxuriant, it is best to have them all hand-pulled, and carted off to a clover-lea field where wheat is to be sown, before the plough enters to turn over the furrows. This is a more cleanly practice than leaving the stems on the ground till gathered by the harrow; and it also prevents any root-weeds from being carted off and p.oughed in, a few of which may still be found in potato fields at the time of taking up, especially in wet seasons. After the stems are thus removed, and those tubers gathered which came up with them, the plough meets with no choking in splitting out the drills of potatoes; and every root-weed, if any, is then easily seen, and should be hand-picked after the harrows. This operation over, it is time to have the clover-lea ploughed. A boy with a fork must accompany each plough to push in the stems, so as they may all be regularly and completely buried. The stems on five acres, if moderately luxuriant, will manure one acre well, and the wheat will appear more luxuriant than on the neighbouring ridges, where from fifteen to twenty tons of farm-yard dung may have been applied.

In the winter months there is little of which farmers can avail

themselves in the way of green manure. When access can be had to the leaves of trees early in November, the farmer would

find his account in appropriating them to his use; and where near the manor, the landlord would, no doubt, thankfully get rid of them as a nuisance. They should be laid in large heaps or pits in the beginning of winter, where they should be allowed to remain twelve months, by which time they will be partially decomposed when they should be driven to the cattle-yard, where they form comfortable bedding, and imbibe the liquid part of the manure, which otherwise might escape, and form a wholesome manure for any soil or plant.

ON REARING DOMESTIC POULTRY.

IT has frequently occurred to us, that the management of a poultry-yard is not so rationally conducted as it ought to be. When we consider the rapid advances that have been made of late years among the industrious classes of the community in intellectual acquirements, more especially in the southern parts of the kingdom,-Scotland having been for a series of years an educated country, while the same classes in England were yet in ignorance, we feel warranted in our objections, because we have practically proved the fallacy of the "auld warld" methods of treating that portion of our live-stock, and have established our right to make those objections, by the success which has attended our own plan. The best test of our ability in the office which we can offer to our readers is, that we pay Nature the compliment to suffer her to dictate to us, and that, as far as possible, we attend to her wise and simple laws. If this candid acknowledgement be in our favour, we fear not to gain proselytes from the old to the new method, and proceed to the detail.

In large farms, and among the very poor, it would not be desirable to have a poultry-yard portioned off; in the former case, because that part of the live-stock is subsidiary, in the latter, because the outlay, though trifling, would be too considerable. A very numerous class of persons, however, remain, to whom the rearing of poultry might be an object of emolument; and others again, who seek for no remuneration beyond the pleasure which arises from possessing the means of consuming those animals which are the produce of their own estates In all cases

it is gratifying to know and to follow a plan which leads to the most satisfactory results; and that is presumed to be the best, which is founded upon the experience of years. We will begin with

The

The Poultry-Yard.-This ought, when practicable, to be separated from the other portions of the premises devoted to livestock, and even subdivided when various kinds of fowls are kept which are inimical to each other, as is the case with the guinea-fowls (or Pintadas, or Gallinæ, as they are indiscriminately called), and the more familiar tribe of cocks and hens. yard should be dry, as nothing is so injurious as damp; in order to effect this the surface should be gravel, on a foundation of chalk, for the benefit of quick drainage. This preliminary we consider all but indispensable; the difference that would be experienced in the well-doing of poultry that is reared on a gravel or chalk-paved yard from those that draggle through their existence on wet clayey ground or grass is astonishing. The yard should have a full exposure to the south, and contain an open shed for shelter from either sun or rain. Within it should be placed dry sand, ashes, small gravel, and chalk, for the use of the birds; the two first named materials they require for the purpose of dusting themselves, a process in which they not only delight, but which is essential for their health; the fine gravel is constantly picked up by them, and without it, their food would not undergo a healthful state of digestion. Although the space allotted to them is to be separated from the general farm, it should be contiguous to a meadow or a common, for grass is absolutely necessary for them; a small opening should, therefore, be made in the fence, through which they may gain access to it. Instinct will teach the old birds to remain no longer than is needful;-of chickens we shall speak hereafter. We have had opportunities of comparing the state of poultry which had been prevented from ranging among grass with our own that had never been debarred from it, and the results were so satisfactory to us that we cannot do otherwise than recommend the plan. No animal thrives well upon one only species of food; of man himself it is asked "Can he live by bread alone ?" The craving which poultry evince for a change of food is evident to all who will take the trouble to watch them; after having

eaten well of variety, with a profusion of the grain yet lying before them, they will eagerly run to a common and finish their meal, upon the various aliments that are presented to their choice,grubs, worms, insects, and even of the grass itself they will eat very considerable quantities when left to their own freedom, and this not now and then only, but daily, for they live very regularly. Their habits appear to be as fixed as those of mankind; they like to be abroad early in the morning, before the slugs, &c., which are most alert during the hours of darkness, have retired to the earth; they then return to their corn, which they rarely finish until they have been abroad. After having drunk water and dusted themselves, the hens proceed to the nests for the purpose of laying. They afterwards lie lazily about, take their siesta towards noon, then look for their mid-day meal; again sally forth to the grass and rove about at their ease, until it is time for them to receive a third feed, when they retire to roost, in summer about six, in winter towards four o'clock.

The most approved species of Poultry.—In a former number of this periodical, all the kinds are enumerated, and their different qualities specified, so that choice may thus be made. (See No. xxxi. Dec. 1835, pp. 372-390.) We have but to observe that white fowls with short legs are those to which we give preference. There exists a prejudice against them, that they are more tender than those with dark plumage; we have not found this to be the case, though we are decidedly of opinion that the flesh of the former is more delicate than that of dark fowls with black

legs.

Poultry-houses. If the number of fowls to be kept be very considerable, it would, perhaps, be right to have two or three dormitories, in the event of infectious disorders appearing among the stock; but we do not offer this opinion as our own, having never experienced any illness of a contagious kind, nor having indeed lost any of our numerous stock, except from casualties and accidents. One roomy,-nay, lofty fowl-house, will be sufficient where judicious attention is paid to the following particulars. Ventilation is highly requisite, for where numerous creatures congregate and remain shut up for many hours, an unhealthy heat will be generated, and a bad effluvia from the manure will stagnate and create disorders which would never

exist if free ventilation and cleanliness were attended to. We have seen in those anomalous spots peculiar to England, yet christened by a French name, and styled "Fermes Ornées," where every item was pretty, and expensive, and ornamental, and artificial, and, consequently, liable to failure; we say, in such places, we have seen fowl-houses, barely seven feet in height, with plastered walls and ceiled ceiling, with close-shutting door, and a glazed casement, not made to open! The inevitable consequences were most offensive odours, and a sickly stock, which of course consisted of the most expensive, because rare species, and were continually obliged to be renewed.

Fowl-houses, we repeat, should be lofty, and securely closed in the lower part, to prevent the ingress of vermin, not only foxes, but stoats, weasels, rats, &c. The upper portion may be very open, as much so indeed as is consistent with due shelter from rain As it is the nature of warm air to ascend, it is evident that the atmosphere which is heated with, and contaminated by, the creatures and their odour, will ascend and prevent the descent of cold air. The floor of the dormitory ought to be formed of any convenient material which will be found to be most dry, even, and commodious, in order to allow of its being frequently washed. In laying the floor, a gradual slope should be made towards the middle, or to one side, where a drain might carry off the moisture, after it had been scrubbed with a birchbroom. All good farmers and gardeners are aware of the value to their land of every kind of manure, and need not our recommendation to save every portion; hence, the drain from the hen-house will of course be made to communicate with the general reservoir of liquid sullage, which every country homestead ought to possess in the most convenient corner of the premises, where it could be covered in and kept from evaporation, by a rough building or shed erected over it. The boxes for nests should be constructed of unplaned boards, and fastened to the walls about three feet from the ground, and by no means should they be placed in the fowl-house; an out-building ought to be devoted to the purpose, where the birds may fulfil their duties either of laying or sitting quite undisturbed,-a fowl-house appears to be sedulously avoided by poultry, excepting at the hours of rest. Clean straw, not very long, must be coiled