20 FAEMYARD MANURE. 



well-rotten (lung, contains very little free ammonia ; and since 

 active fermentation, and with it the further evolution of free 

 ammonia, is stopped by spreading out the manure on the field, 

 valuable volatile manuring matters cannot escape into the air by 

 adopting this plan. 



As all soils with a moderate proportion of clay possess in a 

 remarkable degree the power of absorbing and retaining manuring 

 matters, none of the saline and soluble organic constituents are 

 wasted even by a heavy fall of rain. It may, indeed, be ques- 

 tioned whether it is more advisable to plough-in the manure at 

 once, or to let it lie for some time on the surface, and to give the 

 rain full opportunity to wash it into the soil. 



It appears to me a matter of the greatest importance to regu- 

 late the application of manure to our fields so that its consti- 

 tuents may become properly diluted and uniformly distributed 

 amongst a large mass of soil. By ploughing in the manure at 

 once, it appears to me this desirable end cannot be reached so 

 perfectly as by allowing the rain to wash in gradually the manure 

 evenly spread on the surface of the field. 



By adopting such a course, in case practical experience should 

 confirm my theoretical reasoning, the objection could no longer 

 be maintained that the land is not ready for carting manure upon 

 it. I am much inclined to recommend as a general rule : cart 

 the manure on the field, spread it at once, and wait for a favourable 

 opportunity to plough it in. In the case of clay soils, I have no 

 hesitation to say the manure may be spread even six months before 

 it is ploughed in, without losing any appreciable quantity of ma- 

 nuring matters. I am perfectly aware that, on stiff clay-land, 

 farmyard manure, more especially long dung, when ploughed in 

 before the frost sets in, exercises a most beneficial action by keep- 

 ing the soil loose and admitting the free access of frost, which 

 pulverizes the land, and would therefore by no means recommend 

 to leave the manure spread on the surface without ploughing it in. 

 All I wish to enforce is, that when no other choice is left but 

 either to set up the manure in a heap in a corner of the field, or 

 to spread it on the field, without ploughing it in directly, to adopt 

 the latter plan. In the case of very light sandy soils it may 

 perhaps not be advisable to spread out the manure a long time 

 before it is ploughed in, since such soils do not possess the power 

 of retaining manuring matters in any marked degree. On light 

 sandy soils I would suggest to manure with well-fermented dung 

 shortly before the crop intended to be grown is sown. 



8. Well-rotten dung contains likewise little free ammonia, but 

 a very much larger proportion of soluble organic and saline mineral 

 matters than fresh manure. 



9. Rotten dung is richer in nitrogen than fresh. 



10. Weight for weight, rotten dung is more valuable than fresh. 



