98 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



same bulk of cow or horse manure. The safest way to 

 use them is by composting with other materials, as will 

 be described presently, but if it is desirable to use them 

 alone, care should be taken in the distribution, as already 

 stated. This can be assured by thoroughly mixing these 

 manures with at least equal bulks of fine earth, when they 

 will soon be reduced into a fairly dry and powdery state 

 in which they may be readily spread broadcast on the 

 land, or be sown by the drill, and be found a useful gen- 

 eral manure for every kind of garden produce. 



Deterioration of Manures. There are two ways by 

 which animal manures lose valuable constituents : first, the 

 escape of nitrogen by fermentation which sets free this 

 element chiefly in the form of ammonia : second, the leach- 

 ing out of soluble matters by exposure of the mass to 

 copious rains. Both of these losses are practically pre- 

 vented by drying of the manure. The local demonstra- 

 tion of this general truth is seen in the analysis just given 

 of sheep manure which has passed through many years of 

 exposure to the weather in an arid interior valley of Cali- 

 fornia and still retains so much fertilizing value. Another 

 means by which fermentation is reduced and controlled 

 is by compacting the mass so that free access of air and 

 free passage of water are prevented. This compacting 

 is currently accomplished by the tread of the sheep con- 

 fined by night in large numbers in small inclosure. The 

 prevention of leaching in this case is also due to the fact 

 that the local rainfall never reaches in any short period 

 volume enough to accomplish percolation through a thick 

 layer of manure to the soil. We have then in the case 

 of a dry interior valley of California all the conditions 

 for the preservation of manure which the progressive 

 farmers of humid climates secure by means of covered 

 cattle yards, covered pits, manure sheds and other devices. 



And yet manure will go to destruction in California as 

 fast as elsewhere unless the conditions mentioned are se- 

 cured, Loose piles of manure, except in the most arid 



