1 82 SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



manure upon the soil. When manure undergoes fer- 

 mentation in the soil, as previously stated, it combines 

 with the mineral matter of the soil and produces humates. 

 The practice of hauling the manure directly to the field 

 and spreading it with a manure spreader is the most eco- 

 nomical way of handling it, as the manure is thus evenly 

 spread, and larger crop returns are secured from the 

 lighter and more frequent applications. 



With scant rainfall composting the manure before 

 spreading is often necessary, but with liberal rainfall it 

 is not essential. On a loam soil, a direct application of 

 stable manure is more advisable than on heavy clay or 

 light sandy soil. In the case of sandy soils there is fre- 

 quently an insufficient supply of water properly to fer- 

 ment the manure. Manure on heavy clay land sometimes 

 fails to show any beneficial effect the first year because 

 of the slow rate of decomposition, but the beneficial 

 effects are noticeable the second and third years. 



When conditions will not permit farm manure to be 

 hauled directly to the field and spread, it should be 

 stored in covered manure sheds, so as to prevent leach- 

 ing and injurious fermentation. 



205. Coarse Manure Injurious. The application of 

 coarse leached manure may cause the soil to be so 

 open and porous as to affect the water supply of the 

 crop, by introducing below the surface soil a layer of 

 straw, and thus breaking the capillary connection with 

 the subsoil. Coarse manure and shallow spring plowing 



