SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 167 



tains what is wanted in it, and is nsually 8 or 9 feet high, 

 12 feet wide, and as lona^ as desired. The sides are built up 

 straight and tramped. There is Uttlg loss from leeching or 

 burning in a pile of manure thus made, and the manure will 

 be in good condition to use in about one month's time. These 

 piles are made at places near where they are to be used and 

 may contain from 25 to 100 cords. Into these piles, as they 

 grow, are put large quantities of refuse from the wash-shed, 

 which help to moisten and ferment the pile. It is a custom 

 on some farms to plow in all the manure on hand in Novem- 

 ber. In point of fact, we are plowing in manure from April 

 to December, and the more we can get into the ground the 

 better we are satisfied. For lettuce and celery, very fresh 

 manure seems to be best ; for bunch beets, radishes and spin- 

 ach, well rotted manure seems best ; but for most crops, manure 

 about one-half rotted is most satisfactory. 



The manure is plowed in five to seven inches deep. 



Overhauling manure is commonly practiced where the 

 piles accumulate over winter, or at any time when it is not in 

 a fine condition to use, or when it needs more fermentation to 

 render its elements available. On most farms the piles are 

 topped over with fresh manure in March and then overhauled, 

 working the sides in and the center out. The fresh manure 

 serves to increase the fermentation. The sides of the pile 

 are kept vertical and line of base straight, so to lose no time 

 when coming to haul out to field. 



In applying 30 to 40 cords of hot manure to an acre of 

 land in April, we add a large amount of available plant-food, 

 so that when the first warm days come, the seedlings find 

 plenty of the food they want and use it. 



On most early farms we begin to plow and sow by last 

 of March and to harvest by May 10th. 



In putting on manure we use dump-carts holding about 

 30 feet and arranged with a riser, so as to give the body of 

 cart a cant back just before we begin to pull out the manure ; 

 we make three, four or five piles of a load and the piles four 

 or five paces apart each way. 



