CHAPTEE VII 



THE PRINCIPLES OF MANURING 



Definition of Manure. The word manure may be, per- 

 haps, capable of definition in more than one way accord- 

 ing to the point of view from which the subject is re- 

 garded. It will, however, be used here to include all and 

 only such substances as contain appreciable quantities 

 of plant food in a condition suitable for assimilation 

 by plants, or which readily change into such a condition 

 and are directly incorporated with the soil. 



This definition, of course, includes farmyard manure 

 the waste animal and vegetable matter which is restored 

 to the soil to which the name manure has sometimes 

 been exclusively applied. It also includes seaweed, town 

 refuse and other animal and vegetable matters obtained 

 from outside the farm, as well as mineral substances, 

 and bye products from gasworks, ironworks, boneworks, 

 etc. It does not, however, include oil cakes and other 

 vegetable matter intended to be consumed by animals, 

 though the farmyard manure may be subsequently en- 

 riched in this way. It sometimes happens, however, 

 that these products are damaged, become unfit for use as 

 animal foods, and are directly incorporated with the soil ; 

 in that case they would be regarded as manures. 



Lime might be considered as coming under the 

 definition inasmuch as calcium compounds are essential 

 constituents of plants. This, however, is quite a sub- 

 ordinate function of " lime," properly so-called, and it 

 is not generally added to the soil for this purpose, but 



