258 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



humus, needing but the addition of alkalies to neutralize the 

 acids and render the humus soluble, we believe it to be of no 

 advantage to place it in an open barnyard, for the reason that 

 the humus of the muck, when made soluble by uniting with 

 the ammonia of the manure, is itself leached out, instead of 

 retaining that from the manure. 



There are, it is believed, three ways in either of which nearly 

 all the valuable constituents of the manure may be saved and 

 made available. 



First. It may be kept under cover from the time it is dropped 

 until delivered upon the land. The only source of loss under 

 this plan is by heating and consequent " fire fanging." If this 

 takes place the substance is just as completely burned up as if 

 fire had consumed it. This can be avoided by having sufficient 

 space that the manure may be spread out in a thin layer and 

 not allowed to remain in a heap, or by keeping swine upon it, 

 or by keeping it sufficiently moist, without water in excess. If 

 the humus becomes soluble under this treatment, there can be 

 no great loss because there is no surplus water present to dis- 

 solve it out, and it will therefore be preserved until carried 

 upon the land. The liquid manure in this case should be pre- 

 served separate, inasmuch as the solid manure cannot retain 

 it all. Some dry substance such as muck may be iised to 

 absorb it, or it can be retained in a water-tight receptacle until 

 needed for use. 



Second. A water-tight cellar may be provided to contain 

 both the liquid and solid portions of the manure together. 

 There should be enough liquid present to keep the solid manure 

 always saturated. This can be done by adding water if the 

 urine is insufficient. In this condition there can be no fermen- 

 tation of a destructive character, neither any washing out of 

 soluble elements of the manure, and the whole is saved without 

 loss or depreciation until carried out for use. 



Third. A mode which is theoretically perhaps the best of all, 

 would be to spread the manure, both liquid and solid, upon the 

 land while fresh. In this case whatever soluble matter might 

 exist at the time, or which was formed afterward, would be 

 washed into the soil by rains and there retained in a perfectly 

 distributed condition until appropriated by growing vegetation. 

 The objections to this plan are the inconvenience of so applying 



