American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-09-25
fayl,a, Gartlear 4 Moasrtlala.
A Question About Manure.


1t is the general practice in this
country to allow the manure formed
in the barnyari during the winter to
remain there until seeding time in
the fall. Is this an economical plan?
Does not the manure undergo con-
siderable loss in the yard during the
warm weather of simmer =? It has
been calculated by those who have
had experience and the means of as
certaining, that for every ten hun
dred 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 state !,
produce from twenty to twenty-five
hundred weight of fresh dung, which,
at tae end of six weeks will weigh
but twenty-ope hundred at the end
of eight weeks but twenty; when
half rotten but from fifteen to sew
entecn; when entirely rotten, but
from ten to thirteen.
Thus, we see that, by the time the
manure is fully rotten, ohe-fourth Of
the weight is lost, and the mass is
diminished in bulk one-half. The e
remarks apply to manure which is
left exposed to the action of the sun
and rain.
The main loss is in water but
there is very large loss in ammon-
ia 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 field in the spring and plow it
nnder, so that what loss by decom-
position and fermentation does take
place may be absorbed by the soil ?
If enriching the soil was the only
object in view, it would without
doubt be most economical to plow the
manure under as soon as possible af>
ter it is formed but there are other
points to be considered, az, for in
stance, the state of the soil with re-
gard to texture.
If the soil is light and very open,
itwould not be economical to plow
in long or fresh manure, for it would
have tendency to make it still more
60 the rain would wash the soluble
portions of the manure too deep be.
fore they could be absorbed by the
soil, and ir this way a greater loss
might be created than if the manure
had remained insthe barnyard. But
in heavy or common soils it is un>
doubtedly more economical to plow in
the straw and other manure while in
a long and fresh state, for it will
then have a tendency to render the
soil more open and permit more
free passage of the air. English
farmers think this is by far the bet
ter plan, for it converts the whole
field into heap of compost, and fer
mentation 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 msnure is
applied must also more or less infu-
ence 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 pefore the manure was suf
GENTLY decomposed to affect it much.
But if, on the other hand, the crop is
one which grows slowly, and tits des-
sirable. to furnish it with nourishment
throughout its whole growth, then
long manure will better accomplish
the effect than common fermented or
decomposed manure.
consider that / obtain more from
my manure by s .,reading it on the
sod and plowing it unGer for corn,
than | do by keeping it, even a0ith
the best care, until fall, and applying
it to the oats stubble to be plowed in
for wheat. Err
L think that the corn crop appro-
praises what would be lost by evapor-
alton, had the manure been retained
in the barnyard in the usual way.
And when seeding time c3mes in the
fall, tt e manure is thoroughly incar-
porated with the soul and is ready
to fertalize the wheat as soon as it
begins to grow. e
l do not find from several trials
that the cats is sensibly affected by
the manure, as do not turn it up
when plowiug for oats.-Gsrm4a
Tom, Telegraph.
----<-s-.<zs-- ----><es--------
Horses that Overreach.