HOW JOHN JOHNSTON MANAGES HIS MANURE. 77 



If he feeds out a ton of clover-hay, two tons of straw, (for feed and 

 bedding,) and one ton of oil-cake, the manure obtained from this 

 quantity of food and litter, would be worth, according to Mr. 

 Lawes' table, given on page 45, $34.72. 



On the other hand, if he fed out one ton of corn, one ton of 

 clover-hay, and two tons of straw, for feed and bedding, the manure 

 would be worth $21.65. 



If he fed one ton of corn, and three tons of straw, the manure 

 would be worth only $14.69. 



He would get as much manure from the three tons of straw and 

 one ton of corn, as from the two tons of straw, one ton of clover- 

 hay, and one ton of oil-cake, while, as before said, the manure in 

 the one case would be worth $14.69, and in the other $34.72. 



In other words, a load of the good manure would be worth, when 

 spread out on the land in the field or garden, more than two loads 

 of the straw and corn manure. 



To get the samo amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash, you have to spend more than twice the labor in cleaning 

 out the stables or yards, more than twice the labor of throwing 

 or wheeling it to the maaure pile, more than twice the labor of 

 turning the manure in the pile, more than twice the labor of 

 loading it on the carts or wagons, more than twice the labor of 

 drawing it to the field, more than twice the labor of unloading it 

 into heaps, and more than twice the labor of spreading it in the 

 one case than in the other, and, after all, twenty tons of this poor 

 manure would not produce as good an effect the first season as ten 

 tons of the richer manure. 



" Why so " ? asked the Deacon. 



" Simply because the poor manure is not so active as the richer 

 manure. It will not decompose so readily. Its nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid, and potash, are not so available. The twenty tons, 

 may, in the long run, do as much good as the ten tons, but I very 

 much doubt it. At any rate, I would greatly prefer the ten tons 

 of the good manure to twenty tons of the poor even when spread 

 out on the land, ready to plow under. What the difference would 

 bo in the value of the manure in the yard, you can figure for your- 

 self. It would depend on the cost of handling, drawing, and 

 spreading the extra ten tons." 



The Deacon estimates the cost of loading, drawing, unloading, 

 and spreading, at fifty cents a ton. This is probably not far out of 

 the way, though much depends on the distance the manure has to 

 be drawn, and also on the condition of the manure, etc. 



