STABLE MANURES 47 



hauling from the city to prevent the manure from being 

 strewn along the streets and roads. Figure 9 shows a 

 wagon typical of the ones used in Philadelphia County 

 to haul manure from the railroad stations; it is loaded 

 with four and one-half tons. In the smaller centers of 

 production about two tons is the most common weight 

 for a load. One-horse wagons carrying 1500 pounds or a 

 ton are often used by market gardeners in making short 

 hauls, and dump carts of about the same capacity are 

 utilized to some extent. 



85. Fresh manure versus rotten manure. — In general 

 farming the best practice is to apply manure to the land 

 as soon as possible after it is produced. This may also 

 be the best policy in certain lines of vegetable farming; 

 as, for example, grass land to be planted in early cabbage 

 and early sweet corn might well receive dressings of fresh 

 manures any time after hay harvest of the previous sea- 

 son. In field trucking a very general and commendable 

 practice is to apply fresh manures at any time, provided 

 all conditions are favorable to such applications. The 

 probabilities are that yields will be better than if an at- 

 tempt is made to store the manure and apply when well 

 decomposed. It is a well-known fact, however, among 

 market gardeners that fresh stable manures are not suit- 

 able for intensive operations in market gardening, be- 

 cause they are not quick enough in their action and their 

 coarse texture prevents thorough incorporation with the 

 soil particles. Again, fresh manures are likely to cause 

 a rank growth of certain crops, such as tomato, eggplant, 

 pepper, melon and cucumber, at the sacrifice of fruit. 

 With root crops, like radish, turnip, beet, carrot, parsnip 

 and salsify, fresh manures not only cause excessive top 

 growth, but also prevent the proper root development. It 

 is, therefore, generally conceded that rotten manure is in- 

 dispensable in all intensive lines of vegetable gardening. 

 86. Composting manures. — On almost every place de- 



