Manures and Commercial Fertilizers 103 



the manure. It is far better to get it out as rapidly as 

 possible, for it requires high-priced crops to pay for the 

 labor of composting and the loss in the process. 



The Cornell station found that a ton of manure with 

 the usual straw bedding was worth, when fresh, $2.30. 

 After it had been exposed to the weather for six months 

 it had lost ninety-eight cents of this value, or 46.6 per 

 cent., nearly all of which would have been saved had it 

 been spread on the land while fresh instead of being left 

 in a loose heap. They also left 4,000 pounds of horse 

 manure in a heap from April to September. Calculating 

 from its content at first of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash, this manure was worth $2.80 per ton, while on 

 the 2 2d of September it was found to have lost so much 

 that it was worth but $1.06 for what weighed a ton at the 

 start. They also left 10,000 pounds of cow manure 

 exposed during the same period. At the end of the time 

 the manure that was worth at the start $2.29 per ton had 

 left of the ton only $1.60 worth of plant food. At the 

 North CaroHna station manure in three weeks showed a 

 loss of 2.77 per cent, of its nitrogen. The Massachusetts 

 station found that the teachings from a manure pile caused 

 by rain had in them plant food worth $2.94 per ton 

 although the teachings were 93 per cent, water. All the 

 investigations go to show that keeping the manure in the 

 yard can usually be done only at a great loss. When 

 spread on the field these valuable teachings are absorbed 

 by the soil, and as there is little fermentation there is less 

 loss of ammonia there. The only way to keep manure, 

 as we have said, without great loss is to keep it packed 

 under the tread of stock in the stables. When once 



