Which is generally preferable, this course, or composting? Why?] In many cases (when heavy manuring is practised), it may be well to apply organic manures to the soil in a green state, turn them under, and allow them to undergo decomposition in the ground. The advantages of this system are, that the _heat_, resulting from the chemical changes, will hasten the growth of plants, by making the soil warmer; the carbonic acid formed will be presented to the roots instead of escaping into the atmosphere; and if the soil be heavy, the rising of the gases will tend to loosen it, and the leaving vacant of the spaces occupied by the solid matters will, on their being resolved into gases, render the soil of a more porous character. As a general rule, however, in ordinary farming, where the amount of manure applied is only sufficient for the supply of food to the crop, it is undoubtedly better to have it previously decomposed--_cooked_ as it were, for the uses of the plants--as they can then obtain the required amount of nutriment as fast as needed. ABSORPTION OF MOISTURE. It is often convenient to know the relative power of different manures to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, especially when we wish to manure lands that suffer from drought. The following results are given by C. W. Johnson, in his essay on salt, (pp. 8 and 19). In these experiments the animal manures were employed without any admixture of straw. PARTS 1000 parts of horse dung, dried in a temperature of 100 degrees, absorbed by exposure for three hours, to air saturated with moisture, of the temperature of 62 degrees 145 1000 parts of cow dung, under the same circumstances, absorbed 130 1000 parts pig dung 120 1000 " sheep " 81 1000 " pigeon " 50 1000 " rich alluvial soil 14 1000 " fresh tanner's bark 115 1000 " putrified " 145 1000 " refuse marine salt sold as manure 49-1/2 1000 " soot 36 1000 " burnt clay 29 1000 " coal ashes 14 1000 " lime 11 1000 " sediment from salt pans 10 1000 " crushed rock salt 10 1000 " gypsum 9 1000 " salt 4[AE] Muck is a most excellent absorbent of moisture, when thoroughly decomposed. DISTRIBUTION OF MANURES. The following table from Johnson, on manures, will be found convenient in the distribution of manures.