Farmyard Manure. 69 



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 manuring 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 

 keeping 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 in- 

 tended 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. 



11. In the fermentation of dung a very considerable propor- 

 tion of the organic matters in fresh manure, is dissipated into the 

 air in the form of carbonic acid and other gases. 



12. Properly regulated, however, the fermentation of dung is 



