ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEIN'S ASSOCTATION. 109 



Oil a sufik-iont length of time, it is plain that the valuable 

 parts will disappear, leaving the dross for the farmer to haul 

 upon his land. 



An analysis made by Prof. Way, of England, sliows that 

 the value of covered manure is more than double that of 

 the uncovered. One way of saving the manure to the best 

 advantage is to use plenty of bedding, which should be stored 

 under cover so that it will be dry and ready for use when 

 needed. Bedding not only' helps to save the manure, but adds 

 to the health, comfort and cleanliness of the stock. The 

 bedding material should always be dry and clean and be used 

 in sufficient quantities to absorb all the liquid voidings, the 

 saving of which is of importance as it may be considered 

 as a double distilled essence of fertility, and is far more effica- 

 cious than the solid excrements of the animals, quicker in its 

 action because all the elements are in a soluable state, and 

 are in ore evenly distributed. 



l\Ianure thus made, using short bedding such as saw-dust, 

 cut-straW; etc., is an admirable fertilizer for grass land or 

 meadows. It will act as a mulch to the grass during win- 

 ter, the rain and snow will carry the solution into the soil 

 ready to be used by the plants when they start to grow in the 

 spring. One of the most economical plans of management 

 is to load the manure into a wagon or sled direct from the 

 stables, sheds of feed-lots, haul it out into the fields and 

 scatter it direct from the wagon. A low truck wagon will 

 be found convenient for ^v ork of this kind. In this way the 

 more readily soluable parts will be taken up and retained 

 for the use of the growing crops next spring, while preparing 

 this land for planting in the spring will work for the rest 

 into the soil and there will be a little waste. Manure ought 

 not to be allowed to accumulate in the stables. It is detri- 

 mental to the health and thrift of the stock. 



The most common method of applying barn-yard manure 

 is to distribute it in heaps on the fields and to let it then 

 remain for some time until they are spread. This method 

 is objectionable as it increases the labor of handling and the 

 loss of fermentation and leaching, while uniform distribution 

 is not likely to be secured. The spots on which the heaps 

 stand are strongly manured with the leachings, while the rest 



