PREPARATION OF THE MANURE. 
71 
tion has started briskly, which in early fall may be in 
two or three days, or in winter in six to ten days, then 
turn it over again, shaking it up thoroughly and loosely 
and keeping what was outside before inside now, and 
what was inside before toward the outside now; and if 
there are any unduly dry parts moisten them as you go 
along. Trim up the heap into the same shape as you 
had before, and again tread it down firmly. This com¬ 
pacting of tne pile at every turning reduces the number 
of required turnings. When hot manure is turned and 
thrown loosely into a pile it regains its great heat so 
rapidly that it will need turning again within twenty- 
four hours, in order to save it from burning, and all 
practical men know that at every turning ammonia is 
wasted,—the most potent food of the mushroom. We 
should therefore endeavor to get along with as few turn¬ 
ings as possible; at the same time, never allow any part 
of the manure to burn, even if we have to turn the heap 
every day. These turnings should be continued until 
the manure has lost its tendency to heat violently, and 
its hot, rank smell is gone,—usually in about three 
weeks’ time. If the manure, or any part of it, is too 
dry at any turning, the dry part should be sprinkled 
with water and kept in the middle of the heap. Plain 
water is what is generally used for moistening the ma¬ 
nure, but I sometimes use liquid from the stable tanks, 
which not only answers the purpose of wetting the dry 
materials, but it also is a powerful stimulant and wel¬ 
come addition to the manure. But the greatest vigilance 
should be observed to guard against overmoistening the 
manure; far better fail on the side of dryness than on 
that of wetness. 
If the manure is too wet to begin with it should be 
spread out thinly and loosely and exposed to sun and 
wind, if practicable, to dry. Drying by exposure in 
this way is not as enervating as “burning” in a hot 
