693 



AYKKAC.K COMPOSITION OF CATTLE FOODS FUKKD FROM WAII.K. 



(Continued.) 



While there is not much value placed on farmyard manure in 

 Europe, I am inclined to place a much higher value on its use in 

 Western Australia, not only as a fertilizer, but also for the physical 

 or mechanical effect it has on the light soil, which, unfortunately, 

 \ve have too much of in some parts of this colony. These light 

 soils are easily depleted of their plant food and their moisture, 

 as they are not sufficiently retentive. Farmyard manure adds a 

 large amount of organic matter to the soil, thereby making it more 

 retentive of moisture for subsequent use of the crop. This is a 

 matter that is of the highest importance to the farmer and should 

 be looked after as much as possible in a hot climate like this, where 

 the intervals between the falling of rain are very long and droughts 

 are not of unfrequent occurrence. 



Two methods of putting farmyard manure into the land are 

 generally followed. The first is by depositing the manure on the 

 land in small heaps some time before it is ploughed in. This plan is 

 unsatisfactory, as a large quantity of the soluble plant food is 

 absorbed into the soil, so that the remainder of the heap is 

 impoverished. Under these circumstances one part of the land 

 receives an extra supply of plant food and the other very little. 

 This accounts to some extent for some fields being very patchy. 

 It is considered best to cart the manure direct from the pits on to 

 the ground, spreading it out on the land, and ploughing it in as soon 

 as possible, so that every part of the land will be equally enriched. 



