24 The Flower Garden [Chapter 



applied. Manure is in proper condition when it has 

 passed completely through the heating or fermenting 

 stage. Fresh manure should never be placed where 

 it, or the water that leaches from it, can possibly 

 come in contact wth the plants; manure should be 

 six months or, better still, a year old before being 

 used. Old and well-rotted manure has much the 

 appearance of rich, black earth, and is readily assimi- 

 lated by the plants. It should be fine and free from 

 such rough litter as corn-stalks, cobs, and long straws, 

 and should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. As 

 manure is full of the seeds of weeds and grasses, it 

 is better, when applying it in the spring, to remove a 

 portion of the top-soil and work the manure into the 

 subsoil by spading, and then to return the top-soil. 

 This will prevent their germination and save a great 

 deal of weeding during the summer. 



Manure that retains its original form is too fresh to 

 use and should be thrown in a heap and frequently 

 forked over to hasten decomposition. It will be fit 

 by another season, but older stuff must be procured 

 for present use. Where there is room it is a wise 

 provision to keep a pile of manure from year to year, 

 in order to avoid the inconvenience of looking for it 

 when you need it. No better expenditure can be 

 made by the gardener than in purchasing several loads 

 of old manure, when it is discovered in some neigh- 

 bouring barn-yard. If one has no supply and must 

 purchase, the matter should be attended to in the fall 



