Farm Manure. 133 



tinue, liberating the more insoluble plant food from organic con- 

 stituents of the manure and greatly improving its mechanical 

 condition. Mixing the manure from the various farm animals 

 is the very best practice. The drier horse and sheep manure are 

 checked in their fermentation by the more moist pig and cow 

 excrements. When it becomes necessary to store the manure for 

 some time, it is recommended to cover the heap with an inch or 

 two of earth. This prevents the escape of any ammonia that may 

 be formed. 



Covered sheds save manure. Professor Roberts, formerly of 

 Cornell University, was a strong advocate of covered barn yards 

 for the conservation of manure. They are simply sheds, with 

 good roofs, with or without sides and large enough to allow the 

 cattle to freely move about. The bottom is made tight by pud- 

 dling clay or using cement. The manure, as removed from the 

 barn, is spread about and sufficient bedding distributed over the 

 surface to insure cleanliness. The animals trample the accumu- 

 lating manure into a compact mass and keep it moist by their 

 liquid excrement. This insures an excellent manure, with JDut 

 slight losses of plant food. In addition, it affords exercise and 

 a healthful environment for the animals in severe weather. The 

 plan has been tried by many dairymen and is generally consid- 

 ered very satisfactory. It is said that the cows keep cleaner than 

 when stabled and that the milking barn is in a more sanitary con- 

 dition. 



The throwing of cattle and horse manure into basement rooms 

 to be worked over by the hogs, is from the standpoint of the con- 

 servation of plant food, an economical process. By tramping 

 and working over the manure, and by adding their own excre- 

 ment, the mass is kept moist and fermentation controlled. 



Deep stall manure. In some parts of Europe the "deep stall 

 method " of saving manure is in vogue. It consists in excavating 

 the stalls where the cattle stand to some depth below the barn 

 floor level. Every day the manure is spread evenly over the stall 

 and fresh bedding added. The excrement and bedding are firmly 



