PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 211 



power to nold them for the use of crops, instead of 

 letting them escape into the air. Sandy soils and light 

 loams are not equal to the trust. Within my own ob- 

 servation, 80 loads of green manure were ploughed 

 into an acre of sandy loam in the spring of 1850. It 

 gave 45 bushels of corn. On the same acre, 30 loads 

 of similar manure were ploughed in, in the spring of 

 1852. The crop was estimated at 45 bushels, making 

 90 bushels both years, worth considerably less than 

 the 60 loads of manure ; and the worst part of the 

 story is, that the land was not much amended ; it 

 would hardly produce another crop, without more 

 manure. On similar lands I have seen better corn 

 grown, with 7 loads of such manure, composted with 

 twice its amount of peat, and the land essentially 

 amended for years to come. 



BARN-YARD MANURE. 



403. With regard to the coarser barn-yard manure, 

 it contains, in the substances, mixed with the excre- 

 ments, that which is adapted to retain the nutritious 

 gases of the latter. It may therefore with less waste 

 be applied, if not too coarse, as a dressing to grass- 

 lands, or harrowed into plough-lands. If it be thrown 

 up into heaps, a few days beforehand, and slightly 

 fermented, and a little plaster be added to prevent the 

 •Bcape of ammonia, it will be more than enough better 

 to pay the extra expense. 



COMPOST. 



404. The composted manure, if he were so fortunata 



