THE WORK BEGINS. 23 



of plant foods at least $2. Frequently it can be bought 

 at one quarter of that amount. 



You can haul this manure, probably rather fresh, during 

 summer and autumn, and pile it up in great, square heaps, 

 if possible under a shed, to rot down. If it heats rapidly 

 and violently, pour water upon it, or better, if you have it, 

 liquid from the barnyard, and fork the heaps over several 

 times. During winter or early spring, haul this compost 

 to the field and spread it thickly and evenly. 



No matter how fine and well rotted this manure may be, 

 heavy dressings of it should always be plowed under and 

 mixed as thoroughly as possible with the surface soil. Fer- 

 tilizers of a more concentrated character, such as wood- 

 ashes, bone-meal, phosphates, potash, and nitrate salts, I 

 invariably apply after plowing. Remember that the aim is 

 simply to prepare a fine, mellow seed bed, and that there is 

 no necessity, usually, to run the plow deeper than required 

 for that purpose. Good judgment alone can and should be 

 the guide in this. On somewhat tenacious soil a depth of 

 eight inches is about right ; on deep, mellow soil less will do. 



Preparing the Soil. 



Ordinarily, I prefer spring plowing. Clean loams filled 

 with humus, especially muck lands, which, after having 

 given a crop of celery, or carrots, or beets, or a similar crop, 

 were manured and plowed in the fall, however, may be 

 prepared in spring by means of deep-cutting harrows or 

 cultivators without replowing ; or plowing may even be 

 omitted altogether if the dressing of compost was a light 

 one, or if the more concentrated manures alone are to be 

 used. 



While admitting that a large crop can be produced with 

 barnyard manure exclusively, I confess I hardly ever feel 

 safe without additional rations of concentrated manures. 



