94 TALKS ON MANURES. 



fermented manure. There need be no loss of ammonia from 

 evaporation, and the manure is far less bulky, and costs far less 

 labor to draw out and spread. The only loss that is likeiy to 

 occur is from leaching, and this must be specially guarded against. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF MANURES. CONTINUED. 

 WHY DO WE FERMENT MANURE? 



However much farmers may differ in regard to the advantages 

 or disadvantages of fermenting manure, I have never met with 

 one who contended that it was good, either in theory or practice, 

 to leave manure for months, scattered over a barn-yard, exposed 

 to the spring and autumn rains, and to the summer's sun and 

 wind. All admit that, if it is necessary to leave manure in the 

 yards, it should be either thrown into a basin, or put into a pile 

 or heap, where it will be compact, and not much exposed. 



We did not need the experiments of Dr. Vcelcker to convince 

 us that there was great waste in leaving manure exposed to the 

 leaching action of our heavy rains. We did not know exactly how 

 much we lost, but we knew it must be considerable. No one ad 

 vocates the practice of exposing manure, and it is of no use to dis 

 cuss the matter. All will admit that it is unwise and wasteful to 

 allow manure to lie scattered and exposed over the barn- yards 

 any longer than is absolutely necessary. 



We should either draw it directly to the field and use it, or we 

 should make it into a compact heap, where it will not receive 

 more rain than is needed to keep it moist. 



One reason for piling manure, therefore, is to preserve it from 

 loss, until we wish to use it on the land. 



" We all admit that," said the Deacon, " but is there anything 

 actually gained by fermenting it in the heap ? " In one sense, 

 DO ; but in another, and very important sense, yes. When we 

 cook corn -meal for our little pigs, we add nothing to it. We have 

 no more meal after it is cooked than before. There are no more 

 starch, or oil, or nitrogenous matters in the meal, but we think the 

 pigs can digest the food more readil}'. And so, in fermenting 



