162 AGRICULTURE 



tendency to a patchy distribution should 

 be avoided. Patchy distribution results from 

 the use of an imperfect mechanical distributor, 

 or from inefficient hand distribution, or from 

 the continuance of the work during windy 

 weather. Then, again, equal distribution 

 cannot be secured unless the manure is in 

 fine, mechanical condition. Manure at all 

 lumpy cannot fail to produce more or less 

 unsatisfactory results. If, for any reason, 

 the distribution is unequal it must neces- 

 sarily follow that a certain proportion of 

 the field is over-manured, and other portions 

 correspondingly under-manured. Where too 

 much manure has been applied the plants 

 growing there may be destroyed by poisoning, 

 and especially will this be the case where 

 a highly soluble manure like nitrate of soda 

 is used, or an acid substance like super- 

 phosphate of lime. When unequal distribu- 

 tion has not gone so far as to poison the 

 crop in places, it may result in the encourage- 

 ment of excessive growth at certain spots, 

 and correspondingly reduced growth at 

 others. Such a result would appear in its 

 most undesirable form in the case of the 

 barley crop, whose profits in many cases 

 are dependent upon the securing of a 

 thoroughly equal sample of grain, and 



