96 CHEMISTRY OF FARM PRACTICE 



through the agencies of fermentation and decay. During 

 the same time, the nitrogen content was reduced from 48.1 

 pounds to 27.7 pounds. These experiments, as well as 

 many more that could be cited, show the importance of 

 applying the manure and incorporating it into the soil 

 as soon as possible. 



73. Rate of Application. The rate of application of 

 animal manures should vary considerably. It depends 

 upon two factors: The supply of manure and the section 

 of the country. The reason that the supply is a factor, 

 is that manure is a good medium for the growth of bacteria, 

 in addition to the plant food content; therefore it should 

 be spread over as much land as practicable to furnish 

 bacteria flora to the soil. Conditions affecting nitrification 

 differ in various sections of the country. Thus the con- 

 ditions prevalent in the southeastern part of the United 

 States favor rapid nitrification; in fact, very noticeable 

 results have been obtained in South Carolina from the 

 use of only 2 tons of manure per acre, applied to cotton. 

 On the other hand, the conditions existing further north 

 favor slower nitrification; consequently, heavier applica- 

 tions are necessary, but heavy applications under these 

 conditions are more lasting in their influence. For general 

 farm crops in the South, it is advisable to apply about 6 

 tons of manure per acre, while in some Northern sections of 

 the United States, from 12 to 20 ton applications frequently 

 are made. 



