THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



Having mastered these facts, it was quite 

 easy to understand that the carelessly thrown- 

 out manure and litter, which is allowed to 

 form into any sort of a haphazard sprawly 

 heap, must be wasteful, because the irregu- 

 lar surface allows the constant circulation of 

 air through the greater portion of the mass, 

 and encourages the advance of the consum- 

 ing atoms, and permits rain to form pools 

 and soak slowly away, carrying with it the 

 leachings, rich in organic and mineral con- 

 stituents. 



Obviously, to realize the maximum value, 

 methods must be revolutionized; so Mr. Fred 

 was instructed to have a tidying day in the 

 barn-yard, pile up the manure in heaps about 

 5 feet wide, and 8 or 10 feet long and high, 

 with neatly smoothed surface, so that rain 

 or snow would be easily shed. Of course 

 he was cautioned not to pack down material, 

 as that would give the slow-acting anaerobic 

 ferments undue influence. To maintain equal 

 disintegration and amalgamation, the two 



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