The Shasta courier., 1863-02-28
AQuesion About Manure.

1t is a general practice in this country to
allow the maunre formed in the barnyard
during the winter to remain there until seed
ing time in the fall. Is this an economical
plan? Does not manure undergo considera.
BILE loss in the yard during the warm wealth
er Of summer?
1t has been calculated by those who have
had experience and the means of ascertain.
ing, that for every ten hundred weight of dry
fodder, hay or straw used, the farmer may
expect from twenty to twenty-five hundred
weight of manure, in the spring.
This ten hundred weight of dry food and
straw will, as before stated, produce from
twenty to twenty hundred weight of fresh
dung, which at the end Of six weeks, will
weigh but twenty -one hundred ; at the end
of eight weeks but twenty when halfrotten,
but from fifteen to seventeen when entirely
rotten, but from ten to thirteen.
Thus, We see that by the time the manure
is fully rotten, fourth of the weight is
lost, and the mass is diminished in bulk one
half. These remarks apply to manure that
is left exposed to the action of the sun and
rain.
The main loss is in water; but there is a
very large loss in ammonia and other volatile
substances, which are evaporated by the heat
of the sun, or washed out by the rain.
The question, then, is: Would it not be
better to haul the manure out to the fields
in the spring, and plow it under, SO that
what loss by decomposition and fermentation
does take place, may be absorbed by the
soil?
If enriching the soil was the only object in
view. inwould without doubt, be most econo-
mical to plow the manure under as soon as
possible after it is formed but there are 9th
er points to be considered, as, for inst lnce,
the state of the soil with regard to texture
Ifthe soil is light and very open, it would
not be economical to pillow in long or fresh
manure, for it would have tendency to
make it still more so; the rain would wash
the soluble portions of the manure too deep
before they could be absorbed by the soil,
and in this way greater loss might be crea-
ted than if the manure had remained in the
barn yard. But in heavy or common soils
it is undoubtedly more economical to pillow in
the straw and other manure while in a long
and fresh state, for it will then have ten
dency to render the soil more open and per-
nit more free passage of the air.
English farmers think this is far the bet
ter plan, for it converts the whole field into
a heap Of compost, and fermentation goes on
slowly, and as fast as the volatile portions
are given off, they are absorbed and retained
by the soil
The crop for which the manure is applied
must also more or less influence the manner
of application. If the crop is one which
grows quickly and soon reaches maturity,
it would not be economical to apply long,
fresh manure, for the plant would be done
growing before the manure was sufficiently
decomposed to effect it much. But if, on the
othe hand, the crop is one which grows
slowly, and it is desirable to furnish it with
nourishment throughout its whole growth,
then long manure will better accomplish the
effect desired than common fermented or de-
composed manure.
l consider that obtain more from my ma
nure by spreading it on the soil and blowing
it under, that do by keeping it, even with
the best care, until fall, and applying it to
the oats stnbble to be plowing in for wheat.
When seed time comes in the fall, the ma
nure is thoroughly Incorporated with the
soil, and is ready to fertilize the wheat as
soon as it begins to grow Germantoun TEL
egrdph.