FARM MANURES 53 



by cogs. As the team moves forward the floor moves back- 

 ward and the reel whirls around rapidly, catching the ma- 

 nure, tearing it apart and spreading it over the land much 

 more completely, much quicker and easier than a man can 

 do it with a fork. 



It does not matter about plowing the manure under right 

 away. What is washed out by rains will go into the soil and 

 be soon used by plants. The only danger is when the land 

 is sloping, causing the water to run away instead of soaking 

 into the ground. However, when the manure is plowed under 

 it will begin to decay and thus add humus to the soil and also 

 give more plant food to the plants. It will also aid in holding 

 water and in making the ground looser by keeping it from 

 packing down so completely. When manure is spread, dur- 

 ing the winter, on land that is to be plowed in the spring, it 

 keeps the land from thawing and drying quickly in the spring. 

 Especially is this true if it has been spread on top of snow. 

 This, however, is not likely to result in any inconvenience 

 except on undrained land. 



It is better to apply small quantities of manure to the land 

 often rather than large quantities not so often. For example, 

 it is better to apply five tons per acre every three or four years 

 than to apply ten tons every eight or ten years. With a manure 

 spreader a small quantity of manure can be made to cover a 

 larger area of ground and thus the fields can be treated 

 oftener. The amount of manure applied per acre varies a 

 great deal. Five tons is considered a light dressing, while 

 twenty and thirty tons per acre are often applied, especially 

 in gardening. Ten tons per acre is a very good amount for 

 ordinary farm practice. 



One good thing about farmyard manure is the way it lasts 



