Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-22
FRESH AND WELL
ROTTED MANURE

There seems to be difference of
opinion as to the value and use of fresh
and we'll rotted manure. Almost all
authors on gardening recommend the use
of well rotted's manure for all plants.
That we'll rotted manure is the safest
and best for immediate results in gen.
eral farm and garden practice is ad-
mitted.
But large quantities of this fertilizer
are difficult TO secure while fresh ma
nure is plentiful and may be secured at
all times Besides, manure which has
rotted i'll heaps, unless properly handled,
has lost a large share of its best fertiliz-
ing properties. The greatest objection to
the use of fresh manure for immediate
plant growth is that it burns the crop
unless the growing season is very wet.
This, too, will be admitted is the usual
case, yet the bad effects from the use
of fresh manure arise from improper
methods of applying the manure and the
working of the soil after the applica-
ton.
Fresh manure may or may not heat in
the soil and injure plants according to
the way it is worked in the soil. Fresh
manure of course undergoes decomposi-
ton and produces heat in the process and
the more of it 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 fresh manure
should be well scattered and we'll mixed
with the soil so that no large amount will
remain any one one place.
The soil should be deeply narrowed
and disced. or both, so that all the ma
nure is thoroughly Incorporated with the
soil particles, leaving uniform mixture
Then the decomposition will be slow
hence less amount of heat evolved.
This thorough working or mixing of
the soil will also prove beneficial in many
other ways, as every farmer and gardener
knows. neighbor, and successful
farmer said recently that he always
aimed to do large share of the cultivl.
ton of a crop before Il was planted.
The soil, in good working condition, for
any crop of plants cannot we'll be worked
and mixed too much. This is especially
true when manure of any kind Is used
Fresh manure is strong, and it's
strength consists of valuable compounds
for plant growth that has not been dissi-
pated through decomposition.
In the SOIL these plant foods are abb
sorbed and held for plant growth; out
Of the soil, most of them are carried
away by the air and waste.
manure
has absorbed much liquid products and
this litter we'll mixed with the soil will
give up these fertilizing compounds. and
the litter itself will enhance the chem
zeal and physical condition 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 home 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 repeated
experiments that this is true.
For several seasons we have applied
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 cultivation.
With corn the manure wagon was driv-
en- down rows in the same manner as the
tw o-horse cultivator goes, and the ma
nure applied heavily between rows
The good effects were apparent after
each rain when the soluble portions were
carried into the soil and taken up by the
roots of the growing crop.
When this manure was cultivated into
and with the surface soil il acted as a
mulch, increa sing the moisture holding ca
pacity of the soil. and during very wet
periods 1t retarded washing, decomposed
rapidly without detrimental heating re-
suits. and produced rapid plant growth
We should use all well rotted manure
that can be secured for the garden. but
the garden should not be without manure
when only fresh manure is available OF
course, when fresh manure is used on the
garden or truck patch the cultivation
should be done with horse tools So that