SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURE. 257 



formed, which, uniting with the humus of the manure, renders 

 it soluble, and every rain that falls washes out a portion which 

 either runs away, or is carried into the soil underneath. This 

 action is repeated until a jjireat portion of all that is valuable 

 is completely lost. Li addition to this, the liquid manure is 

 allowed to run entirely to waste. That the action above men- 

 tioned docs take place is shown by the effect produced by a 

 heap of manure lying during one or two rains in a field which 

 is to be planted. The manure may afterwards be completely 

 removed from that spot, and two or three inches even of the 

 soil itself carried off, and yet it will give a better crop than any 

 other part of the field ; simply because of the soluble humus 

 which has leached out of the heap into the underlying soil. 

 The same action, precisely, takes place in the barnyard. The 

 manure, in its progress towards decay, or the formation of 

 humus, unites with tbe ammonia of the atmosphere, or that 

 produced by the decomposition of the manure, and especially 

 the liquid portion, becomes soluble, leaches into the ground 

 and is lost. This is by far the most important source of waste, 

 and we may consider how it shall be best avoided. 



A plan which early suggested itself was to carry into the 

 barnyard a quantity of absorbent material like straw, muck, 

 loam, sawdust or other substance which would drink up and 

 retain the soluble constituents of the manure. There is no 

 doubt that these substances will have the effect designed, if a 

 sufficient quantity be employed, but a layer of any one of them 

 has only a definite capacity, precisely like a quart measure. 

 After the measure is filled we may continue to pour liquid into 

 it for any length of time without having more than a quart in 

 the end. So with a layer of muck, or any other absorbent 

 material, it will continue to drink in soluble humus until it 

 can hold no more, after which, all that is poured upon it runs 

 through unchanged. If enough of any of these materials 

 could be furnished, all the manure might be thus saved, b\it 

 this is probably never done. Aside from the difficulty, the 

 expense necessarily incurred makes it a very unprofitable mode 

 of proceeding. We contend that no man can afford to trans- 

 port the soil of his farm to his barnyard, for the purpose of 

 manuring it, and then back again. Even if he has a bed of 

 muck to draw upon, which in itself is a mass of insoluble 



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