40 



not work in them, for they cannot obtain the soluble organic food 

 necessary for their sustenance. Anything like sand, loam or turf, 

 therefore, may be used for bedding without incurring the disad- 

 vantage due to straw litters. 



Wherever much nitrate of soda is applied to crops, there is pro- 

 duced a relatively large yield of straw, which, in turn, leads to a 

 large use of this material as litter. This excessive quantity of 

 straw in the manure materially lessens its value in the manner 

 described. 



Manure is brought from the storage to its place in the field by 

 four different methods : — 



1. It is unloaded in the field into large heaps, and, after 

 remaining there a convenient time, is spread over the land and 

 ploughed in. 



2. It is distributed in small heaps, and then treated as before. 



3. It is spread evenly over the land, and allowed to lie a long 

 time. 



4. It is evenly spread and immediately ploughed under. 

 Unquestionably the last method is the best of all, the first is the 



second best and the third is the poorest way of all. The reasons 

 for this are very apparent, when it is remembered that the half- 

 rotted manure should be placed at the disposition of the growing 

 plant at the earliest moment, with the least possible opportunity 

 of loss by evaporation or drainage. It should be evenly distrib- 

 uted over the land. This is impossible to attain, when it is first 

 deposited in heaps and allowed to drain into the patches of soil 

 under the heaps, before being spread. 



As to the amount of barnyard manure to be applied to the 

 land for various purposes, a general rule may be mentioned 

 here, which should apply in all manuring. Only apply as much 

 as seems to be necessary for present purposes. The old method 

 of stocking land with barnyard manure for future use is a waste. 



Special formulas for various crops, either alone, or with other 

 manures, may be found in the bulletins of the Hatch Experiment 

 Station of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. These can be 

 easily obtained by application to the director at Amherst. 



