16 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in short, to compost it in the soil rather than beforehand. In many 

 cases it is desirable to use some thoroughly composted stable manure, 

 manure which has been subjected to the bacterial process, broken 

 down, and a considerable part of its crude plant food converted 

 into available forms. This, however, Avas deemed more necessary 

 years ago, before commercial manures were introduced. Now 

 that concentrated available plant food can be bought the necessity 

 of composting manure in advance is passing out. It is not only a 

 slow process but more or less wasteful and expensive, for in the 

 process of nitrification through the bacterial action a considerable 

 amount of ammonia may be set free and wasted into the atmosphere. 

 This always takes place when the manure or compost pile is al- 

 lowed to "fire fang" and turn white. 



It is urged, however, by some experimenters that composting is 

 desirable in order to raise the temperature of the manure pile to a 

 point that will destroy the foul weed seeds ; but is not this an ex- 

 pensive way to destroy weed seeds, as obA-iously it must expose the 

 compost to loss of ammonia while also consuming time and labor ? 

 Except where a very fine seed bed is desired, with considerable 

 humus present, it is believed the compost heap will go out and 

 commercial manures will be used in its place for forcing purposes. 



Bacteria and Drainage. 



In the matter of drainage, the old theory obtained that Ave wanted 

 to draw off the water from the soil in order to admit the air and 

 warmth, and also afford a better chance for the roots to permeate 

 throughout the soil. This is all true today, but we have found 

 that this is only a small part of the advantage of drainage. The 

 paramount object of drainage is to promote the growth of bacteria 

 in the soil, a life Avhich cannot exist Avhere there is an excess of water, 

 where the soil is too compact, or where the proper amount of air 

 and warmth does not permeate. Hence drainage assists in culti- 

 vating a crop of "yeast plants" below the surface of the soil, which 

 are as essential to the growth of the crop above the soil as water 

 and sunshine. 



In the matter of fine cultivation, the old theory of cultivation was 



