176 MANURES. 



amount of absorbent matter to arrest and retain all 

 ammonia and carbonic acid presented to it. 



Manures should be applied to the soil with due 

 regard to its requirements. 



Ammonia and carbon are always useful, but 

 mineral manures become mere dirt when applied to 

 soils already containing them in abundance. 



Organic manures must be protected against the 

 escape of their ammonia, and especially against the 

 leaching out of their soluble parts. One cord of 

 stable manure properly preserved, is worth ten cords 

 which have lost all of their ammonia by evaporation, 

 and their soluble parts by leaching as is the case 

 with much of the manure kept exposed in open 

 barn-yards. 



Atmospheric manures cost nothing, and are of 

 great value when properly employed. In conse- 

 quence of this, the soil which is enabled to make the 

 largest appropriation of the atmospheric fertilizers, 

 is worth" many times as much as that which allows 

 them to escape. 



In fact, it may be considered to be the object of all 

 cultivation, to use the advantages which the soil and 

 manures offer for the purpose of consolidating and 

 giving a useful form to the carbonic acid, ammonia 

 and water, which are freely offered to all seekers. 



Liebig says : " A certain mass of gold and silver 

 circulates in the world, and the art of becoming 

 rich consists in knowing the way to divert from 

 the main stream an additional brook to- one's own 

 house. In like manner there circulates, in the air 



