DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 297 



Let US consider how we may care for manure to prevent these 

 losses and secure the best results. Undoubtedly the best method 

 so far as saving the plant food is concerned is to haul it directly 

 to the field and spread as soon as possible after it is made. 



If this is done, there is no loss by decomposition or heating. 

 The manure spread thinly over the ground dries and decom- 

 position will stop. The reason for this is that decomposition is 

 brought about by bacteria and the bacteria require some mois- 

 ture for their work. When the manure is thoroughly dried 

 their work stops and there is no danger of further loss by de- 

 composition. Any plant food leached out is carried directly 

 into the soil beneath the manure where it is needed. 



There is no loss of plant food from manure by evaporation. 

 A general belief prevails in some parts of this country that 

 there is such a loss when it is scattered over the field. We have 

 experimental evidence proving that any loss from this source 

 is very small compared with the loss when the manure is left 

 in the barnyard or around the barn under the usual conditions. 

 When rotting manure is stirred up, there is some loss of the 

 ammonia that has been formed, by its escape into the air. This 

 loss may be of importance when such manure lies on the 

 ground for some time in pleasant weather, but a rain will wash 

 the ammonia into the soil and application on snow would pre- 

 vent loss. If the manure is plowed under soon, the soil will 

 prevent the escape of the ammonia. This loss cannot well be 

 prevented and will occur to some extent when rotting manure 

 is handled. 



The only source of loss that we have to fear when scattering 

 fresh manure broadcast is surface washing. This may occur 

 on a hillside during a freshet, or the melting of snow, but on 

 fairly level ground, however, there is little danger of loss by 

 this factor. There is little danger of loss by applying manure 

 on snow on fairly level land unless the snow is of excessive 

 depth. This loss is considerably less than we would expect, as 

 the soil has considerable power to absorb organic substances. 



The Maryland Experiment Station has done some work in 

 comparing the use of fresh and rotted manures and the value of 

 manure applied at different seasons of the year in crop produc- 

 tion. They found that in practically every case fresh manure 

 gave better returns than manure that had been allowed to rot. 



