Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-21
Barnyard Manure and Its Application.

The most efficient means at the dis posal of farmers in general for the perma- nent improvement of their land is prob ably barnyard manure-the droppings of their horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, com bined with the necessary litter used for bedding. The power this fertilizer pos- sesses of restoring wornout soils and giving them lasting fertility is not de- pendent so much upon it's chemical ac- tion and the amount of plant food which it contains in the form of nitrogen, phos- phoric acid and potash, as upon it's eff feet on the physical condition of the soil, adding to the amount of humus therein and enlarging It's water-absorbing and water-containing power.
 The amount of barnyard manure to be applied per acre, and the method of ap- plying it, depend upon the condition of the manure itself-fresh or rotten: the kind and condition of the soil and the re- quirements of the crop to be planted.
 Thus the usual statement that when practicable it is best to apply manure to the land in it's freshest condition must be modified and the existing conditions made plain before the practical accept ance of 1t as an axiom.
 If improvement of the physical condi- ton is a special object fresh or coarse manure is better for heavy or clay soils and well routed fine manure for sandy loam or sandy soils: but if the manure is intended mainly to supply plant food rapidly to the crop about to be planted the reverse is true as heavy soils decom- pose manure less rapidly than lighter more porous soils. and unless the season should be dry the later soil will decom- pose the coarse manure more readily and render the elements of plant food 1t con- tains promptly available for the growing crop.
 The fertilizing constituents of we'll routed manure being more easily set free the heavy stiff clay soils will act on it sufficiently fast to provide for the neces- sities of vegetation.
 Large applications of fresh manure di- rectly to wheat and potatoes have the tendency to produce straw and vines at the expense of grain and tubers, and are also injurious to the quality of many crops, such as tobacco, wheat, potatoes and sugar beets, therefore it is advisable to manure the preceding crop or when the land is to be planted in the spring to haul out, spread and blow in the ma nure during the preceding autumn
 Of the three methods of applying ma nure to arable land,, first, hauling it out and leaving it in little heaps for future and blowing in at once; third, placing in the hill or drill with the seed only the first two are applicable to fresh manure. while all three are practiced with well decomposed manure
 Maturing in the hill or drill is only ad- visable with well-rolled manure, and when the amount procurable is insuffi- cient and prompt action is desired. Truckers employ this method with sue cess for forcing their early vegetables, but even then caution is necessary, for sometimes the crops are injured, and beets and potatoes especially are more liable to be attacked by the scab. n,
 Besides the limitations set by the amount of barnyard manure available for use. the rate of application will also depend upon the quantity and condition of the manure, the character of the soil, the requirements of the crop and the ire quency with which manure has been al- req dy Jp1ied