THE USE OF MANURE 



16 



water and available plant food. The manuring of 

 pasture lands is one of the best ways of utilizing the 



Fig. 28. Unmanured land. 



manure when trouble arises from slow decomposition. 



201. Small Manure Piles Undesirable. — It is 



sometimes the custom to make a large number of 

 small manure piles in fields. This is a poor practice, 

 for it entails additional expense in spreading the ma- 

 nure, and the small piles are usually so constructed 

 that heavy losses occur, and the manure, when finally 

 spread, is not uniform in composition. Oats grown on 

 land manured in this way present an uneven appear- 

 ance. There are small patches of thrifty, overfed 

 oats, corresponding to the places occupied by the 

 former manure piles, while large areas of half-starved 

 oats may be observed. 



202. Rate of Application. — The amount of manure 

 that should be applied depends upon the nature of the 

 soil and the crop. On loam soils intended for general 

 truck purposes heavier applications may be made than 

 when grain is raised. For general farm purposes, 10 



