HANDLING MANURE ON THE FARM 221 



In the second place, the spreader is a labor-saving 

 device. The four-tine fork method of spreading is ex- 

 pensive and out of date. It costs too much to handle 

 manure in this old way; it does the work too unsatisfac- 

 torily; it calls for too much labor; it fails in having the 

 manure taken to the field properly, thus securing to the 

 soil the full value of the manure, both chemically and 

 physically. The labor required in spreading a load of 



MANURE SPREADER AT WORK 



When the spreader is used manure is applied thinly, evenly and uniformly. 

 Then, too, the cost of application is reduced 



manure by the spreader is less than one-half that required 

 by either of the old methods by spreading broadcast by 

 hand or by piling in small heaps in the field. 



In the third place, the manure spreader pays. I know 

 this suggestion means another costly machine for the 

 farm. The question now arises: Is the manure spreader 

 worth its cost? It most certainly is. In my judgment 

 there is no machine now used on the farm that pays a 

 better interest on the investment. For simply putting the 



