Forcing 



Early 



Growth 



Compost 

 Passing 

 Out 



(Pencillum), showing that it is a nitrogen-fixer. I think it will be shown 

 later on that quite a little nitrogen is fixed in the soil by this type of 

 organism, exclusive of those on the nodules of the legumes. The denitrify- 

 ing organisms are often found in manure piles and are responsible for the 

 liberation of ammonia and, as such, we would not consider them favorable." 



In the spring of the year, when the weather conditions are 

 usually unfavorable for the propagation and rapid multiplica- 

 tion of these soil "yeast plants," commercial manures are 

 found of great assistance in forcing an early growth by supply- 

 ing forms of plant food which have been rendered soluble by 

 chemical treatment or are, so to speak, predigested, and ready 

 for the crop to feed upon immediately. Since most of our 

 cultivated crops make their chief growth in from sixty to ninety 

 days, it will be clear that we must have plant food in the soil 

 that will feed the plant from beginning to end, especially in 

 the beginning of the season, when the bacteria of the soil, owing 

 to weather conditions, are not active. 



The Modern Explanation of Composting, 

 Drainage and Cultivation 



The discovery of soil bacteria, which also exist in stable 

 manure, explains the advantage of composting and cultivation 

 for forcing early growth. In the majority of cases, it is no 

 doubt cheaper, if not better, to apply stable manure in its 

 crude state directly to the soil, to cultivate it into the soil and 

 allow the bacteria to attack it there; in short, to compost it 

 in the soil rather than beforehand. In many cases it is desir- 

 able to use some thoroughly composted stable manure — manure 

 which has been subjected to the bacterial process, broken down, 

 and a considerable part of its crude plant food co;iverted into 

 available forms. This, however, was deemed more necessary 

 years ago, before commercial manures were introduced. Now 

 that concentrated available plant food can be bought, the 

 necessity of composting manure in advance is passing out. 

 It is not only a slow process, but more or less wasteful and 

 expensive, for in the process of nitrification through the bacterial 

 action a considerable amount of ammonia may be set free 

 and wasted into the atmosphere. This always takes place 

 when the manure or compost pile is allowed to "fire fang" and 



turn white. 



24 



