CHAPTER VII 
STABLE AND BARNYARD, MANURE 
Stable manures are the oldest, as well as the most 
common, materials used for enriching the land. On practic- 
ally all of the farms in the United States a greater or less 
amount of the manure produced on the farm is returned 
to the land. However, the amount returned compared with 
the amount produced varies greatly on different farms. 
On farms where the true value of stable manure is fully 
appreciated it will generally be found carefully preserved in 
covered manure pens from which it is frequently applied 
to the fields by means of manure spreaders. On other farms 
where slip-shod and bonanza methods are still the rule it is 
usual to see steaming piles of uncovered manure waiting for 
months until its value is half gone (through leaching), be- 
fore being finally hauled out and applied to the land. As 
the farm lands of this country are becoming more depleted, 
stable manures are being made better use of and the number 
of farmers who deliberately allow manure to rot with no 
intention of ever applying it to the land are fortunately 
becoming very few. 
When farm land becomes so worn that it is necessary to 
apply commercial fertilizers in order to grow paying crops, 
every farmer is seriously made to realize the true value of 
stable and barnyard manure. It is a well known fact that on 
thin Eastern farms, where the applications of commercial 
fertilizers are a yearly occurrence, stable manure is well 
eared for and but little is lost or wasted. Stable manure 
that is produced on the farm can be applied to the land 
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