CHAPTEE VII 

 STABLE AND BARNYARD MANURE 



Stable manures are the oldest, as well as the most 

 common, materials used for enriching the land. On practic- 

 ally all of the farms in the United States a greater or less 

 amount of the manure produced on the farm is returned 

 to the land. However, the amount returned compared with 

 the amount produced varies greatly on different farms. 



On farms where the true value of stable manure is fully 

 appreciated it will generally be found carefully preserved in 

 covered manure pens from which it is frequently applied 

 to the fields by means of manure spreaders. On other farms 

 where slip-shod and bonanza methods are still the rule it is 

 usual to see steaming piles of uncovered manure waiting for 

 months until its value is half gone (through leaching), be- 

 fore being finally hauled out and .applied to the land. As 

 the farm lands of this country are becoming more depleted, 

 stable manures are being made better use of and the number 

 of farmers who deliberately allow manure to rot with no 

 intention of ever applying it to the land are fortunately 

 becoming very few. 



When farm land becomes so worn that it is necessary to 

 apply commercial fertilizers in order to grow paying crops, 

 every farmer is seriously made to realize the true value of 

 stable and barnyard manure. It is a well known fact that on 

 thin Eastern farms, where the applications of commercial 

 fertilizers are a yearly occurrence, stable manure is well 

 cared for and but little is lost or wasted. Stable manure 

 that is produced on the farm can be applied to the land 



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