94 TALKS OX MANURES. 



fviiiKiitcd manure. TluTc neril Itc no loss of ammonia from 

 evai)orali<Mi, and tlu- mauuro is far Irs^ liulky, and costs fur less 

 labor to draw out and s|)rca<l. The only loss that is likciy to 

 occur ia from leaching, aud thia muat be specially guarded against. 



C ][ A P T E li X X I. 



THE .MANACKMENT OF MAMHES.— Com im kd. 

 WHY DO WE fEUMENT MANUUE ? 



nowevcr much farmers may difft-r in regard to the a«lvanUigC3 

 or disadvantages of fermenting manun*, I have never met with 

 one wiio contended tiiat it was gooil, either in theory or practice, 

 to leave manure for months, scalten-d over a ham-yard, exitosed 

 to the spring and autumn rains, and to tlic sumn>er's sun and 

 wind. All admit that, if it is necessiiry to leave manure in the 

 yar Is, it should be either thrown into a basin, or put into a j)ilo 

 or heap, where it will be compaer, and not much exposed. 



We did not need the experiments of Dr. Vadcker to convince 

 us that there was great waste in leaving manure exposed to the 

 leaching action of our heavy rains. We did not know exactly how 

 much we lost, but we knew it must be considerable. No <me ad 

 vocates the practice of exposing manure, and it is of no use to dis 

 cuss the matter. All will admit tliat it is unwise and wasteful to 

 allow manure to lie scallered and exposed over tlie barn-yards 

 any longer than is absolutely necessary. 



We sliould either draw it directly to the field ami use it, or we 

 should make it into a compaet heaj>, wliere it will not receive 

 more rain than is needed to keep it moist. 



One reason for piling manure, therefore, is to preserve it from 

 loss, until we wish to use it on the land. 



" We all admit that," said the Deacon, " Init is there anything 

 actually gained by fermenting it in the htap?" — In one sense, 

 no ; but in another, and very important sense, yes. When we 

 cook corn-meal for our little pigs, we add nothing to it. We have 

 no more meal after it is cooked than before. There are no more 

 starch, or oil, or nitrogenous matters in the meal, but we think the 

 pigs cau digest the food more readilj'. And so, in fermenting 



I 



