Farmyard and Green-Manures 127 



These products should be cared for, since the constit- 

 uents in them serve quite as well in the feeding of plants 

 as those contained in the more concentrated forms, though 

 a higher estimation should not be placed upon the con- 

 stituents than upon those contained in commercial forms 

 which are quite as good. 



It is a good practice to use phosphate rock or acid phos- 

 phate with small amounts of muriate of potash or kainit 

 upon the dropping boards. This serves not only as a 

 preservative, but tends to make the final product a better 

 balanced fertilizer mixture. 



Composts. 



In addition to the yard manure, there are about most 

 farms wastes of considerable importance, weeds, grasses, 

 and coarse growths of many kinds, which all contain 

 greater or less amounts of manurial constituents. These 

 may be utilized profitably as absorbents in the barnyard. 

 When this method is adopted, the weeds should be cut 

 before they have matured, or they furnish an excellent 

 means of transmitting weed seeds. These waste products 

 may also be used in making what are called " composts." 

 These, of course, differ according to the conditions of the 

 farmer. Where peat or muck is available, they are more 

 advantageous than where these products are not at hand. 

 The main object of the compost heap is to cause a more 

 rapid decay of such products, without the loss of essential 

 constituents. (See Fig. 7.) 



A good compost heap may be made by placing a layer 

 of manure, then a layer of weeds or waste products of 

 any kind, then a layer of lime or wood-ashes, the whole 

 well moistened, and the order repeated until all of the 

 products are used. The manure starts fermentation, the 



