TiiK m.vna<;emest (»f manures. 97 



tificiul manures, than for Ihu same aiuuuut of nilrogeii auil phos- 

 pliuric acid iu siablc-mauurc." 



We will uol discusi tiiis point at present. What 1 waut to as- 

 certain is, whellicr we can not tind some method of maiiiui; our 

 farm-yard manure more reiidily available'. Piliiig it up, and let- 

 ting It ftrnunt, is one uu Ihod of doing this, though 1 think other 

 mt tliods will yt-'t be disiovired. Possibly it will be found that 

 spreaciing wiU-rulted nianure on the surface of the lanil will be 

 one of the m<i&t jiraclical ajid simiilt st methods of accomplishing 

 this objecl. 



"We pile the manure, therefore," said Charley, " first, because 

 we do not wish it to lie exposed to the rain in the yards, 

 and, second, becauM- fermenting it in the heap renders it more 

 soluble, and otherwise more available for the crops, when a])plied 

 to the land." 



That is it exactly, and another reason for piling manure is, that 

 the fermentation greatly reduces its bulk, and we have less labor 

 to perform in ilrawing it out and spreading it. Elhvanger & 

 Barry, who dniw several thousand loads of slaltle-manure every 

 year, and pile it up to fcrnunt, t« 11 me that it takes three loads of 

 fresh manure to make one load of rottctl manure. This, of course, 

 has reference to bulk, and not wei^dit. Time tons of fresh barn-yard 

 manure, accordinsr to the experiment.<? of Dr. Vcelekcr, will make 

 about two tons when well rotted. tZwn this is a irreat saving of 

 lalM>r, and the mtted manure can be more easily spread, and mixed 

 more thoroughly with the soil — a point of great importance. 



" Another rea.<^on for fermenting manure," said the S<iuire, " is 

 the destruction of weed-seeds." 



"That is true," said I. " and a very important reason ; but I try 

 not to tliink about this method of killim: weed-seeds. It is a great 

 deal better to kill the weeds. There can be no doubt that a fcr- 

 mentin<r mannre-lieap w ill kill many of the weed-peeds, l)ut enough 

 will usually escape to re-seed the land." 



It is fortunate, however, that the best means to kill weed-seeds 

 in the manure, arc also the best for rendering the manure most 

 efficient. I was talking to John Johnston on this subject a few 

 days ago. He told me how he piled manure in his yards. 



" I commence," he said, " where the heap is intended to be, and 

 throw the manure on one side, until the bare ground is reached." 



" What is the use of that V" I asked. 



" If you do not do so," he replied, " there w ill be some portion of 

 5 



