FARMYAKD MANURE 331 



this method, viz., the arable land is kept much cleaner. 

 One of the arguments used in favour of applying the 

 manure to the green crops is that it affords a favourable 

 opportunity of eliminating the weeds. This work has, 

 of course, to be done in any case, but it is all the easier 

 when no fresh weeds are introduced in the manure. 



The customary practice in most parts of the country 

 is to store the manure for some time and apply it in the 

 short, well rotted condition, but in some cases it is 

 applied in the long or fresh state. When applied in the 

 fresh state there is probably less risk of loss by evapora- 

 tion of ammonia, but more is lost in the form of free 

 nitrogen and it has been found to set up denitrification 

 in the nitrates of the soil. For the production of tilth 

 in clay soils, fresh manure is probably the more effica- 

 cious and should be applied in the autumn. For light 

 sandy soils which require cohesion, well-rotted manure 

 applied in the spring is undoubtedly the best. 



