300 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



part of the barnyard, a condition which we too often see. Tlie 

 manure pile should be high so that the rains will not leach 

 through it and should be compact to prevent fermentation tak- 

 ing place. Each addition to the manure pile should be firmly 

 packed into place, and it should be something more than a loose 

 heap where the manure is simply dumped to get rid of it as 

 quickly as possible. Such a manure pile should have straight 

 sides and the top should slope towards the center so that water 

 will run through it rather than run off the sides and carry away 

 plant food. Some water may leach through it but water run- 

 ning through it will keep it moist and this will tend to better 

 preserve it than if the w^ater were allowed to run off the s,ides. 

 If possible, horse or sheep manure should be mixed with the 

 more moist cow or hog manure. If such a pile is to stand for 

 some time it should be covered with an inch or two of dirt. 

 This will prevent the escape of any ammonia that may be 

 formed, as the dirt will absorb the ammonia. 



As a general principle it can be said that better returns are 

 secured from manure by frequent light applications rather than 

 by heavier ones at longer intervals. Better returns are also 

 secured w^ith manure the more area it is spread over; that is, 

 if we only have manure enough to cover six acres heavily we 

 will get better returns per ton of manure if we apply it lightly 

 over eight or ten acres. This has been shown conclusively by 

 experimental evidence. The heavier applications wnll produce 

 larger crops, but a less gain per ton of manure. The idea is to 

 spread the manure over as much ground as possible. Tlie 

 manure adds organic matter to the sioil, through its decompo- 

 sition makes plant food available, and improves the soil in 

 other w^ays. So, then, we should scatter manure over as large 

 an area as possible, even if it must be supplemented by commer- 

 cial fertilizers. It is, of course, impossible to cover the entire 

 farm with manure, but an effort should be made, so far as 

 possible, to cover the land once during a rotation. 



Let us consider briefly the crops to which manure can best 

 be applied. Of all farm crops corn makes the best use of 

 manure, and the practice of putting it on land which is to be 

 planted to corn is very good. There is another farm crop 

 which responds profitably to applications of manure, and that 

 is the hay crop. During the drouth of the past summer, the 



