36 MARKET GARDENING. 



varies with the proportion, in the mass, of the excretion 

 of animals. Stable manure is best applied when well 

 broken up by fermentation. If not decayed but in long 

 strawy condition, or otherwise green condition, it should 

 be piled till fermentation sets in to reduce it, or it 

 should be composted. 



In strong fermented stable manure there is often 

 developed an immense number of insect larva, the rich 

 mass attracting the mature insects, in which they lay 

 their eggs ; which dung also frequently developes many 

 varieties of fungous growth, ready to effect lodgment on 

 such crops as may be naturally fitted for their further 

 development. The best stable manure is that exclu- 

 sively from the stables of well fed horses, as such is com- 

 posed only of hay, straw, urine and horse dung, digested 

 and half digested food of forage and grass, the richer the 

 food given to the horse the better the excrement. This, 

 as taken from the stalls, is known as fresh manure, and 

 is slow in fertilizing action. To render it active agri- 

 culturally it must be piled, that fermentation may pro- 

 ceed to break down the component parts and bring them 

 into condition to afford quick nutrition to growing 

 plants. The fresh manure is suitable for application in 

 winter, or to a crop requiring a slow fertilization, but to 

 spring and autumn crops in the garden it is too slow, 

 consequently if we use stable manure to develop an early 

 effect it must be rotten, or short, as it is termed. 



The value of stable manure, of course, varies in 

 every locality. Farmers in New York, Pennsylvania 

 and Delaware pay for stable manure delivered on railroad 

 cars eighty to one hundred miles out from the city, from 

 New York and Philadelphia, $2.00 per ton including 

 freight. The cleanings from stalls should be piled as 

 taken out, and this is best done under a shed, as too 

 frequent rains wash out a portion of the most soluble 

 ingredients, though a limited amount of water must be 



