MANAGEMENT OF FARM-YARD MANURE. 
The question is often asked, whether manure should 
be applied in its fresh state, or be first allowed to de¬ 
compose ? 
In considering the subject, it may be proper to ob¬ 
serve that some kinds of crops, as wheat and other 
“ English grains,” might be injured by the application of 
manure in its unfermented state—the manure increasing 
the liability to blight or mildew; while Indian corn, on 
the other hand, and most root crops, are not injuriously 
affected by the rankness of fresh manure, and derive as 
much or more benefit from its being applied in that 
state, as in any other. The late Judge Buel was 
much in favor of unfermented manure for the corn crop, 
and he advised that it should be spread broadcast, and 
plowed in. The soil of his farm was rather light and 
sandy. ' On compact soils, it is desirable to produce a 
mechanical effect by the application of manures, that 
is to render them more friable and open; and this ob¬ 
ject can be best effected by applying the manure in a 
fresh state, mixed with straw or fibrous vegetable mat¬ 
ter. But excepting in cases where it is wished to 
change the texture of the soil, by rendering it more 
light, the bulky and strawy nature of fresh manure 
would be rather an impediment to cultivation, and has 
not, that we can discover, any special advantages. 
It has been said that manure can never have a greater 
intrinsic value than at the time it is voided by animals ; 
and we have heard this argued as a reason for applying 
it to the soil as speedily as possible. It is probably 
true that no new principle is added to manure in pass¬ 
ing through the process of decomposition; and yet we 
think there is generally an advantage in composting ma¬ 
nures, and allowing them to become considerably rot¬ 
ted before they are applied to the land. We will give 
our reasons for this position. 
On almost all farms there are substances, which, if 
properly mixed with animal manure, would enhance its 
value to an amount much beyond the cost attendant on 
the operation. The’substances to which we refer, are 
peat, or 11 muck,” straw, and other vegetable matters, 
the refuse of the barn and stock-yards. These substan¬ 
ces contain the elements of vegetable nutrition, but in 
their crude state cannot be used with as much advan¬ 
tage as after they have been passed through some pro¬ 
cess of preparation. Pea^ is known to abound in fer¬ 
tilizing elements, but in its natural state these ele¬ 
ments are combined with others, which, so long as the 
combination exists, prevent the favorable action of those 
which would afford food for plants. The chief deleteri¬ 
ous principle is tannin , or tannic acid, and experience 
has shown that if the peat is passed through a fermen¬ 
tation in combination with animal manure, this princi¬ 
ple is dissipated, or rendered innocuous. Perhaps the 
cause why peat is so much improved by being fermented 
in connexion with manure, is not fully ascertained. 
It has been suggested that the ammonia of the manure, 
being an alkaline salt, destroys or neutralizes the acid 
of the peat; but whatever may be the cause, the bene¬ 
ficial effect is unquestionable. Statements in regard to 
the value of peat compost have frequently been given to 
the public by those who have tried it. A compost of 
two parts stable dung with one part peat, mixed to¬ 
gether and rotted, has been proved to be of equal value 
for most crops, to the same quantity of manure un- 
mixed. Here, then, by the process of composting, we 
increase the quantity and value of manure thirty-three 
per cent. 
It is sometimes objected that manure is wasted by- 
fermentation. It is true that if a high degree of fermen¬ 
tation goes on in manure which is unmixed with ab¬ 
sorbing substances, the carbonaceous matter may be 
more or less consumed, and the nitrogen being set 
free, may escape. But if the fermentation is pro¬ 
perly regulated, and the manure is duly mixed with 
substances which will absorb the gases, no such 
waste can take place. Peat is of a similar nature 
to charcoal, which is known to be a most powerful ab¬ 
sorbent, being capable, it is said, of absorbing ninety 
times its bulk of ammoniacal gas. It is easy to see, 
therefore, that peat would tend to prevent the escape of 
those important elements in manures, which, by fenfien- 
tation, may assume a gaseous form. 
While, therefore, we would not advise the fermenta¬ 
tion of manures by themselves, we think we have shown 
that there is a manifest advantage in composting—the 
advantage consisting in the increased value of a mixture 
of materials, beyond the value or benefit to be derived 
from them when used separately. 
The operation of composting may be in p^rt carried 
on while the manure is accumulating. Substances 
should be used daily which will prevent the loss of urine 
or any liquids which might otherwise escape from the 
heap. If animals are kept in barns or stables which 
have cellars under them for the reception of the manui’e, 
the liquid portions are saved with much less trouble 
than under other circumstances, as it is only necessary 
that the bottom and sides of the cellar should be suffi¬ 
ciently tight to prevent any soak or leakage. The ma¬ 
nure should be leveled occasionally, and a sufficient 
quantity of muck or litter should be from time to time 
thrown over it to absorb the liquids and render the mass 
of the pi’oper consistency to be carted with convenience. 
Where there is no cellar under the barn, the animals 
should be well supplied with litter ; and muck, or peat 
which was previously in a tolerably dry state, may¬ 
be kept constantly under them, excepting when the 
