140 STALL-MANURE AND STRAW. 



thereon, the less danger is incurred by the farmer of 

 losing its most important constituents. Putrid ma- 

 nure has this great superiority over fresh, that it 

 commences to operate more quickly in the ground ; 

 but this advantage will be bought too dearly, and 

 become an injury in all cases, where the process of 

 putrefaction is not skilfully conducted and carefully 

 supervised ; that is, where care is not taken that no 

 efficacious substances may fly away, and no ineffi- 

 cacious ones be added during its progress. The 

 farmer will always adopt the safest course, who suf- 

 fers his manure, not to putrefy, but simply to com- 

 mence this process, upon the muck-heap. According 

 to the opinion of practical men, this period has set in 

 when the straw assumes a somewhat brownish color, 

 and has become so tender as to be torn readily by 

 the fork in loading. Theory may be represented as 

 agreeing with this decision. The loss sustained by 

 stable-muck from its fresh state up to this stage of 

 rotting is usually estimated at one sixth of its weight. 

 Six loads of fresh manure will therefore furnish five 

 in a state of incipient putrefaction. 



In conclusion, we simply add a few remarks in re- 

 lation to the management of 7nanure upon the field. 

 The surface-spreading of manure, and more particu- 

 larly suffering it to lie in small heaps upon the land, 

 cannot^ from a theoretical point of view, be justi- 

 fied, except perhaps in winter, when the moisture 

 congeals and the manure freezes stiff. The reasons 

 for this supposition are very obvious, and have been 



