SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



435 



the manure to the previous crop, or, where land is to be planted in 

 the spring, to apply in the fall and allow to decompose during the 

 winter. Sir J. B. Lawes has pointed out, however, that wheat on 

 light soil is benefited by direct application of manure and that it is 

 only on heavy soils that it is best to apply it to the preceding crop. 



Manifestly, the rankness of fresh dung and urine could be 

 controlled and utilized by applying the manure in small quantities 

 and supplementing it with artificial fertilizers of kinds appropriate 

 to the crops that are to be grown. 



What has been said above regarding the application of fresh 

 manure applies especially to manure containing only small amounts 

 of coarse undecomposed litter. It is not generally advisable to 

 apply very coarse manure before the litter has become at least 

 partially decomposed. 



It appears, therefore, that no fixed rules regarding the condi- 

 tion in which manure should be used which will apply to all cases 

 can be laid down. It is a matter which naturally must be left 

 largely to the individual judgment of the farmer, based upon a 

 careful study of the character of the soil and climate and the re- 

 quirements of the crop to be grown. 



RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS. 



The Maryland Experiment Station has conducted a series of 

 experiments as to the effect of manure applied at different seasons 

 of the year. The results of the experiments are shown in the fol- 

 lowing tables: 



Comparison of Yields from Applications of Fresh and Rotted 

 Manure (Yields Per Acre in Bushels). 



F Average of 4 crops. 



t Average of 2 crops. 



The yields of fodder and straw were in favor of the fresh 

 manure, and were in about the same proportions as given for the 

 grains. The observations on the growth of grass showed decidedly 

 in favor of the fresh manure, and were even more marked than with 

 the other crops. Since well-handled manure in decomposition loses 

 a portion of all its constituents, but relatively more of woody mat- 

 ter than of nitrogen and mineral elements, rotted manure is rela- 

 tively richer than fresh manure, "" 



