606 SOILS: PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT 



Loss OF MANURE IN COVERED SHEDS 



Throwing manure in heaps under a shed and allowing 

 hogs to work the mass over, is an economical practice so 

 far as food utilization is concerned. It interferes, how- 

 ever, with proper and economical packing of the manure. 

 The question to be decided is whether the added food 

 value of the manure overbalances the extra losses by 

 fermentation incurred by the rooting of the swine. 



511. Piles outside. Very often it is necessary to 

 store manure outside, fully exposed to the weather. 

 When this is the case, certain precautions must be ob- 

 served. In the first place, the pile should be located on 

 level ground far enough from any building so that it 

 receives no extra water therefrom in times of storm. The 

 earth under the pile should be slightly dished in order 

 to prevent loss of excess water. If possible, the soil 

 of the depression should be puddled, or, better, lined with 

 cement. 



The sides of the heap should be perpendicular, so as 

 to shed water readily. The manure must be kept moist 

 in dry weather in order to decrease aerobic action. Each 

 addition of manure should be packed in place, the fresh 

 on and above the older. This allows the carbon dioxide 

 from the well-rotted dung to pervade the fresher and 

 looser portions, thus quickly establishing the aerobic 



