HANDLING MANURE ON THE FARM 



217 



farmers handle it and there allowed to He for a few 

 months, it invariably lost from one-half to two-thirds of 

 its total fertilizing value, besides injuring its physical 

 nature so much that it did little good when applied to the 

 soil. This means that two or three loads of poorly kept 

 stable manure are of no more value when sent to the soil 

 than a single load properly preserved and applied. 



Manure properly preserved increases crops. An ex- 

 ample of poorly preserved and well preserved manure is 

 shown in the field tests of the Ohio Station, which have 

 now been in progress for ten years: two kinds of manure 

 were used, yard manure and fresh manure. In both cases 

 the rate of application was eight tons per acre on clover 

 sod, plowed under for corn, and then followed in a three- 

 year rotation of wheat and clover without any further 

 manuring or fertilizing. The table following shows the 

 average increase for each crop for both kinds of manure: 



This is what Director Thome in discussing these tests 

 says: "Not only has the manure been greatly reduced in 

 quantity, but the quality likewise has been impaired by 

 exposure the rain leaching out the most soluble, and, 

 therefore, the most valuable portions. At current prices 

 the average increase from a ton of open-yard manure, 

 including the straw and stover, has been worth about two 

 dollars, while that from the fresh manure has reached an 

 average value of nearly three dollars; and this value has 

 been increased to four dollars and fifty cents by reinforc- 

 ing the manure with acid phosphate." 



