No. 63.] 71 



the absorption of the escaping gases, be converted into one of the 

 most efficient of fertilizers. The more solid such deposits of ma- 

 nure are made, the more slow will the fermentation be, and hence in 

 imloading, the carts or wagons may be driven over them if necessary 

 to expedite the work, where the immediate use of the manure is not 

 an object. Should the dung placed in these heaps be too slow in fer- 

 menting, it may be hastened by opening the piles, or still better by 

 making holes in the top, into which the wash of the yards and the 

 urine of the stables may be poured. This method has another ad- 

 vantage. The manure from the yards, if not wanted as long ma- 

 nure, may be removed to the fields where it is to be used, at times 

 when the men of the farm cannot be otherwise profitably employed, 

 and will be at hand, ready fermented in these piles, when a further 

 transportation might be difficult if not impracticable. 



It is a question of considerable importance to the farmer, and one 

 which has been much discussed, whether it was better to apply ma- 

 Lone: or """^^ ^^ ^^^ long state always, or always allow its full decom- 

 rotted. position before using. From his own experience, the writer 

 has been led to doubt the correctness of either of these positions. It 

 seems to be universally admitted that matter, to be efficient as a ma- 

 nure, must be soluble, and it is clear that the more solid parts of farm 

 yard manure require to be softened by putrefactive fermentation be- 

 fore they can be considered in this state. Where, then, the influence 

 of manure is required to be felt at once, as on the turnep, beet and 

 carrot crops, in order to push them forward at the first start beyond 

 the reach of insects, my experience is, that the manure should be in a 

 state reducible to powder, in which condition a large portion of it 

 may be expected to be soluble, and of course at once available by the 

 plant. Where, during the fermentative process, the mass has been 

 reduced to a black carbonaceous matter, it may be inferred that the 

 heat was too great, and the manure seriously damaged; on the con- 

 trary, if the mass, while perfectly fine, dry and friable, still retains 

 its dark brown color, it will usually be found that none of the good 

 qualities have been lost by over-fermentation. 



But where the manure is to be applied to crops which do not re- 

 quire forcing forward in the early part of their growth, but demand 

 as much or perhaps more nutriment at a late period of their vegeta- 

 tion to perfect their seeds or roots, then experience has shown that it 

 is best to apply the manure without any considerable fermentation to 



