EXTENSION" COURSE IN SOILS. 57 
other regions of considerable winter rainfall some form of manure 
shed should be provided. In some localities of the North the winter 
rainfall may be not more than sufficient to keep the manure properly 
moist. However, alternate wetting and drying is especially objec- 
tionable on account of the large loss of nitrogen it causes. Over- 
heating from fermentation is most likely to occur in horse manure. 
(Ref. Nos. 1, p. 149; 7, p. 312.) This should if possible be mixed 
with cow manure, and if not, it should be kept sufficiently moist 
and compact to prevent overheating, or firef anging. Under the very 
best care it is practicable to collect and return to the soil about 
85 per cent of the plant-food elements contained in the fresh manure. 
If three-fourths of the food elements taken from the soil by the crops 
which are fed to animals is voided in the manure, and 85 per cent of 
this can be returned to the soil, about two-thirds of the fertility 
contained in crops removed from the land and fed to animals can be 
returned to the soil in manure. Every effort should be made to 
make the fraction actually returned as large as possible. 
Application of manure to the land (Ref. Nos. 1, pp. 165-172; or 3, 
pp. 602-609;, or 4, pp. 181-186). — On account of the danger of loss 
of plant-food material from manure undergoing decomposition, it is 
best to apply it directly to the land as produced. This can usually 
be done in general farming. Coarse and fresh manure can be used on 
rank-growing crops such as corn, cabbage, sugar beets, etc., by apply- 
ing it during the winter as produced to land to be planted to these 
crops. These crops can then be followed by those to which it is not 
well to apply manure directly, such as potatoes and other crops 
affected by fungus diseases which are encouraged by the raw manure. 
When it is to be applied to sandy soils, however, the manure should 
be composted, as otherwise the decomposition in the soil of the bedding 
will dry out the soil too much. Fine or well-rotted manure can also 
be used to great advantage as a top-dressing on meadow land or on 
pasture. 
It is often thought that pastures do not need fertilization, but this 
is a great mistake, for since the animals are in the yards or stables 
part of the time and are storing up the elements of plant food in 
their bodies, they cause a constant drain on the soil of the pasture 
which is not made good by the manure dropped in the pasture. This 
loss must be met by additions either of manure from the stable or of 
commercial fertilizers. 
Few crops will give better returns for manure applied than hay, 
especially timothy and other true grasses. Clover, alfalfa, and other 
legumes will respond wonderfully to manure; but since these plants 
can secure most of their nitrogen from the air, if necessary, they 
should be made to do so by supplying them with fertilizers containing 
the other elements only. This will permit the use of all of the manure 
