Soil Fertility 



77 



fresh bedding being added from time to time to keep the ani- 

 mals clean. Experiments show that, as far as fertility and 

 labor are concerned, this is a good way to handle manure. 

 There is little loss of nitrogen as long as the animals remain in 

 the stalls; the wetting of the manure and the trampling it 

 receives help to prevent loss. When the animals are removed 

 there is considerable loss of nitrogen, because the drying out 

 of the material admits air which allows bacterial action to pro- 

 ceed vigorously. Consequently manure stored in this way 

 should be taken to the fields as soon as the animals are removed 

 from the stalls permanently. 



33. Methods of applying manure. Some farmers, when 

 applying manure to the fields, place it in small heaps to be 



FIG. 28. A manure-spreader means a saving of labor and evenness of 

 distribution of the manure. 



spread later. This is not good practice. It means loss by 

 fermentation and the soluble portions will leach out and pass 

 into the soil just beneath the pile. In addition there is a loss 

 of labor ; the manure must be handled twice. Manure should, 

 as a rule, be spread directly from the manure-spreader or 



