80 PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



A light dressing of manure on each field every year is 

 better than very heavy applications less frequently. This is 

 particularly true if the soils are light. Large applications 

 of manure are saved better by heavy soils than by light soils. 



Fresh manure has a forcing effect on the crops. If large 

 amounts of fresh manure be applied to light soils there is 

 danger of the plants suffering from drought in dry seasons; 

 the soil may be made too open and loose by too much fresh 

 manure at one time. Soils containing much clay will not 

 suffer from larger amounts of fresh manure. 



Fig. 46. — A inamue spreader at work. This macHine can beregulated to spread 

 the manure thick or thin on the field. The spreader maices the best use of the manure, 

 saves labor, and produces the most uniform crop. 



Some root crops, such as potatoes, may be injured by the 

 use of fresh manure. Scab disease may become worse. On 

 fields where such crops are to be grown a large amount of 

 manure may be used one year before the root crop is planted. 



Composts. — For gardens, flower-beds, and greenhouses, 

 it is sometimes a good thing to rot the manure before it is 

 used. How to do this without wasting its plant-food is a 

 problem which many farmers do not understand. The use 

 of a compost heap serves the purpose very well. 



A good compost heap is made by spreading a layer of 

 barnyard manure, then a layer of tough sods from a meadow, 

 or a layer of leaves, on each of these two layers is sprinkled 



