The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-02-22
FRESH AND WELL
ROTTED mANURE
careful study Of the Effects Oh h'
VIII Determine Nhich ~
Used.
Nv II. II. shepard.

Thnra seems ~ ~ 1
aairion rs to the value and use y
fresh and we'll rotted manure
uos+ ali authors on gardening RECON-
rand +he use Of well rotted rnahui0
for all plants. -,
That we'll rotted manure IS Inc
safest and best for immediate results
in general farm and garden pIae'ee
is admitted.
Rnt large quantities Of this fertilizer
gro difficult to secure. while fresh
uannre is plentiful and may be Sc
cl1red at ali times. Beside, manure
which has rotted in heaps, unless pro-
nerlv handled, has lost a large snaIe
of its best fertilizing properties. inc
greatest objection to the use OF lieS!A
manure for immediate plant elo~ha
Is that it burns the crop uhles0 IL
growing season Is very Wet
This. too, will be admitted Is the
us11al case. yet the bad effects from
the use of fresh manure arise from
improper methods Of applying the
manure and the working OF the soii
after the application.
Fresh manure may or may not neal
in the soil and injure plants accord
ing to the way it is worked In the
soil. Fresh manure of course under
goes decomposition and produces heat
IL ktC D1o\ISo o&3A NA>
there is in one place the more heat
there will be given off.
Then to overcome the bad effects
Of the heat to growing plants fresn
manure should be well scattered and
well mixed with the soil so that no
large amount will remain in n one
place.
The soil should be deeply narrowed
n disced, or both, SO that all the
manure is thoroughly incorporated
LIS r. ~ ~n : &C ynoy ~ r. n uni
form mixture. Then the decomposi-
ton will be slow, hence a less amount
OF heat evolved.
This thorough working or mixing Of
the soil will also prove beneficial III
many other ways, as every farmer and
gardener knows. A neighbor, and
successful farmer, said recently that
he always aimed to do a large share
Of the cultivation Of a crop before it
was planted.
The soil, in good working condition,
for any crop Of plants cannot well be
worked and mixed too much. This is
especially true when manure Of any
kind is used.
Fresh manure is strong. and Its
strength consists Of valuabie com
pounds for plant growth that have
not been dissipated through deconpo-
sition.
In the soil, these plant foods are
absorbed and held for plant growth:
Out OF ne SOIL. most Oh lnoH1 are car
ried away by the air and waste.
The litter in ordinary stable manure
has absorbed much liquid products
and this litter Well mixed with the
soil Will give up these fertilizing COM
pounds, and the litter itself will en-
hance the chemical and physical con
dition of the soil.
The improving of the physical con-
dition of the soil is of as much value
as adding chemical fertilizers, for soil
In a good physical state gives up its
plant foods readily and makes a com
Portable HON for the roots OF plants
1t is held by many that fresh ma
nure Of any kind or quantity in the
soil during a dry season is a detri-
ment- We have not found by repeat
ed experiments that this is true.
For several seasons we have APP
piled fresh manure to the surface soil
Of the garden crops and corn till late
in the summer, working the manure
into the surface soil with each cult
yation.
With corn the manure wagon was
driven down rows in the same manner
as the two-horse cultivator goes. and
the manure applied heavily between
rows.
The good effects were apparent AT
ter each rain when the soluble nor.
tons were carried into the soil anC
taken up by the roots of the growing
crop.
When this manure was cultivated
into and with the surface soil it actet
as a mulch, increasing the moistur.
holding capacity of the soil, and dur
ing very wet periods it retarded wash.
ing, decomposed rapidly without detri
mental heating results, and promoted
rapid plant growth.
We should use all we'll rotted ma
nure that can be secured for the gar
den, but the garden should not b,
without manure when ONLY fresh ma
nure Is available. OF course who,
fresh manure IS used on the garde1
or truck patch the cultivation Shout,
De done with horse tools 50 that tn.
SOIL may be worked and mixed deepl-
TO thoroughly incorporate all fertiI
iZerS With the soil.
When the hoe only is used nothin.
OUT swallow surface stirring result
ana portions Of unmixed manure i
the soil may cause burning of ~