15 



The recognition of the importance of barn-yard manure as an 

 economical and most valuable resource of plant food, as well as an 

 efficient material for the improvement of important physical proper- 

 ties of the soil, is so generally recognized that even in sections of the 

 world where chemical commercial fertilizers are most extensively 

 used, either for supplementing home resources of plant food or as 

 substitutes for home resources of manure, the question has received 

 the most serious attention. 



The practice above referred to, which came under my personal 

 observation on a late visit to German}^, consists in offering premiums 

 in money on the part of local Agricultural Societies to practical far- 

 mers who propose to take part in the competition. The following 

 abstract of an official advertisement of the general rules which served, 

 in the case under discussion, as the basis of adjustment, may illus- 

 trate the mode of proceeding : 



" In consideration of the great loss frequently resulting from a 

 careless treatment of the barn-yard manure, it has been decided to 

 stimulate inquiries into the current modes of securing and handling 

 barn-yard manure to secure the most satisfactory results. A com- 

 petent committee appointed by the society shall serve as judges in 

 the matter. The decision shall be made by the committee assigned 

 on the various points adopted as a basis for adjustment by the society. 

 The whole scale amounts to one hundred and fifty points ; one hun- 

 dred and ten points assigned to any party shall be the lowest figure 

 to entitle to a premium ; the three highest numbers assigned shall 

 only entitle to a premium. The committee charged with the valuation 

 shall for that purpose personally visit the farms of each of the com- 

 peting parties." 



The following system for assigning numbers shall serve as a basis: 



a. Location of stalls, 



b. Location of dwelling house and well, 



c. Location of cistern for liquid manure, 



d. General condition for collection of liquid manure, 



e. General condition of place for keeping manure, 



f. Provisions to prevent access of rain water and 



surface overflow, 



g. Character of the bottom of the manure pit, 

 h. Fall to the liquid manure cistern. 



