No. G. DEPARTMENT UF AtiKlCULTUliE. 3«i» 



wiifii (it her of ( hese happens oi- vvlicu lint pile tsimi»ly softens aud 

 rots, their is an enormous loss of vegetable matter and conse- 

 (picr.ilv of the value of the niauuro as a soil improver. Half rotted 

 manure has usually lost at least a third of its vegetable matter, 

 (.'arrying directly to tlie field is the method that saves the largest 

 part of the vegetable matter. During the cool weather of the winter 

 season, when tlie manure is at or below the freezing point, there 

 is little loss of either plant food or of vegetable matter. When the 

 temperature in spring rises to and above forty-five degrees, the 

 process of decomposition becomes more and more active. No loss 

 of phosphoric acid or potash can occur from the mere action of 

 decay, and if the manure is spread broadcast over the field, the loss 

 of nitrogen will be slight, but the loss of vegetable matter can 

 easily amount to a full half. If, therefore, the soil of the farm is a 

 heavy clay that needs the lightening action of the stable manure, 

 the most perfect way of preserving all the value of the manure is to 

 haul out in the winter, spread broadcast and plow in early in the 

 spring. 



If, on the other hand, the manure is wanted for the plant food it 

 contains, tlien the general rule should be to keep it as near the sur- 

 face of the soil as possible. In Pennsylvania the amount of rain- 

 fall exceeds the amount of evaporation, therefore, the tendency of 

 the groimd water is downward, and this carries with it more or less 

 soluble plant food to depths below the reach of most of our common 

 crops. Especially is this true of the grasses, and probably there is 

 no better way of utilizing part of the manure of the farm, than by 

 using it as a top-dressing on the mowing fields. For this purpose 

 the least coarse of the manure should be selected; it should be 

 applied either in the late summer on the stubble immediately after 

 haying or in the early winter, as soon as the ground freezes. The 

 best time in the rotation is on the clover stubble, for the crop of 

 the next year is to be timothy and the roots of timothy more than 

 of any other crop are near the surface and need both the food from 

 the manure and especially its mulching effect to protect the roots 

 in summer from the scorching rays of the sun. 



To sum up then, we may say that not enough attention is paid to 

 the value of the vegetable matter in the manure, and to obtaining 

 its full value as a humus-former for the bettering of the mechanical 

 condition of the soil. All rotting or leaching decreases the value of 

 the manure for this purpose. Hence the aim of the farmer should 

 be, first, by the plentiful use of al)Sorbents to catch and retain all 

 of the liquid portions; second, by the use of some sort of covering, 

 to prevent the washing and leaching of the manure, while by tramp- 

 ing or moistening he prevents its heating; third, to get the manure 



24—6—1903 



