DAIRY MEETING. 137 



would require such a large amount that it would be practically 

 impossible to secure it. The best way to use manure is as a 

 compost and market gardeners almost always have a compost 

 heap and allow the manure to thoroughly decompose before 

 using it. In making the compost heap a long time in advance 

 of using it the manure not only decays but weed seeds are 

 destroyed. The most common method of making compost is to 

 pile the manure and waste material, as old hay, straw, leaves, 

 &c., in alternate layers with soil. The soil will absorb the 

 nitrogen liberated as ammonia, thereby saving the most valua- 

 ble element in the manure. Three inches of soil to a foot of 

 manure will be sufficient to absorb the ammonia and to keep 

 the manure from heating. Many gardeners apply ground rock 

 phosphate or acid phosphate to the compost heap. This is a 

 very good practice and should be encouraged. Diseased plants 

 should never be thrown on the manure pile, for many of the 

 common diseases live over winter and are distributed to the 

 soil in the manure. Wdiere the manure is well rotted it should 

 be applied to the soil after plowing, and thoroughly disked and 

 harrowed in. For some crops like melons the manure is often 

 applied in the furrow and mixed with soil, or the soil bedded 

 back over the manure. 



Where barnyard manure is not available commercial fertil- 

 izers will have to be used, but these will not be at all satisfac- 

 tory after a few years unless used in connection with humus. 

 By plowing under clover, beans or other leguminous crops not 

 only will humus be supplied but also the most expensive ferti- 

 izing element — nitrogen. Any kind of vegetables will supply 

 the humus but legumes are best because of the addition of 

 nitrogen. Even where barnyard manure is used it is desirable 

 to use commercial fertilizers to supplement the manure. Com- 

 mercial fertilizers are more readily available than animal 

 manures so are important in starting the crop to growing and 

 hastening maturity. 



In using commercial fertilizers there are three elements of 

 plant food to be supplied — nitrogen, potash and phosphorous. 

 The nitrogen can be secured from nitrate of soda, cottonseed 

 meal, fish scrap, tankage, etc. The most readily available ni- 

 trogenous fertilizer is nitrate of soda and it is as cheap per 



