CHAPTER V 
ANIMAL MANURES 
75. Extent used. — Animal manures are universally re- 
garded as the most valuable fertilizing materials for the 
growing of all classes of vegetables upon all types of 
soils. This is a very broad statement, but it is not likely 
to be challenged, since the most successful vegetable 
growers in all parts of the world place their main de- 
pendence upon animal manures. In many instances appli- 
cations of special fertilizers have a more marked effect 
for the season or possibly for several seasons, but their 
long-continued use without additions of vegetable mat- 
ter to the soil is always disastrous. It is true that ex- 
amples can be cited of g-ardening operations that have 
been conducted for many years without any increase in 
the supply of vegetable matter, but in all such cases the 
supply of humus is very large to begin with. Muck soils 
are often farmed for a long term of years without manure, 
but even upon these soils stable manures are highly 
beneficial. 
Market gardeners are especially dependent upon the 
use of animal manure, because there is no interval be- 
tween crops for the growing of green manures. Near all 
our large cities immense quantities of manure are used 
by growers following intensive methods. In trucking 
or farm gardening, however, growers are learning to rely 
mainly upon cover crops and green manures, so the de- 
mand from this class of producers is not quite so great, 
perhaps, as a few years ago. But there are many in- 
stances of manure being shipped hundreds of miles. One 
very extensive grower on the eastern shore of Maryland 
declares that he could not be successful in producing 
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