Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-20
agricultural.
Management of NanureS.

Notwithstanding the fact that a vast deal
has been said upon the subject of man
ures, there Is still great amount of uncer-
taInty in the minds Of many farmers as to
the true economy of preparing and apply
ing them This arises in part, no doubt,
from the apparently conflicting results on
different modes of treatment We propose
10 offer a few suggestions upon the subject
of farm-yard manures, which are certainly
not untlmely at a season of the year when
they are laying out their plan of operations
for the year
Fresh farm-yard dung contains but "a
very small proportion of free ammonia
though 1t has often strong smell which
gives the impression that it is rich in this
substance, and that, on exposure, 1t is lost
by evaporation. This impression is clear
~ mistaken one. Nor is there any APP
precIabe amount III rotten or fermented
manure. True ammonia is produced in
the process of rotting or fermenting of
liquid and excrement>, but even this is
saved and held firmly by the peculiar Or
ganic acids which are formed BY the rot
ting straw and other substances which are
used for bedding and which find their way
the first and obvious suggestion which this
fact should afford us, is that 10 artificial
substances, like plaster or other powerful
fixes of volatile ammonia. are needed eth
er for fresh or well rotted firm-vard man
ure. The next suggestion is that both
fresh and rotted dung may be freely ex-
posed to air and sun without loss of AM
mOnIa. for the former contains scarcely any
in any form. and the latter contains it only
IN the form CT non-volatile ammonacaI
salts. While, therefore, this manure is
kept under cover, that is, protected from
drenching rains, no loss of ammonia NAV
may be feared from evaporation. The
disagreeable smelling gases which arise
from manure in the process of putrefaction,
consist of sulphur and phosphorus of the
various heterogeneous compounds. Com
bIning with water they form sulphuretted
and phosphoretted hydrogen, and these are
of comparatively little value. But in the
process of decomposition those substances
form soluble compounds, which are readily
removed by water. This fact affords an
other suggestion which is that neither fresh
nor well rotted farm-yard dung should be
exposed in the yard to drenching rains, nor
on the field except as they lie spread
where they are wanted. that is, where their
soluble constituents will find their way in
to the soil. This assertion NAV at first
seem at variance with our often repeated
advice to mix more or less absorbents, like
muck or loan. with the solid and liquid
droppings of cattle, but it is not in reality
We advise their use for the purpose of
absorbing and retaining the urine which
would in many cases, be lost but for their
use, and not because we fear any great loss
of ammonia. And then again these sub
stances act as divisors, and are worth some
thing in themselves means of getting
a more uniform and complete distribution
of the manure, and of securing some
mechanical action on the soil.
We are opposed to the common practice
of carting out and dumping manure in
heaps over the field to lie in this form over
winter or for any considerable length of
time, and would prefer to spread it at once
and let it lie in that condition till it is
convenient to plough or harrow it in. If it
lies In heaps the soluble and most valua-
BILE ingredients wash out and thus fertilize
the particular spots where the heaps lie at
the expense of other parts of the land
while if it is spread at once, no matter if
these soluble substances are washed out
as they go into the land just where they
are wanted. Besides, we think the labor
of spreading at once from the cart is
little less than from the heaps.
As general rule We would apply man.
ure to the land fresh and keep it near the
surface We should not fear to apply it
in the Fall, broadcast and let 1t lie till
spring before it is ploughed in, on land
that is tolerably level, that is where it
would not be washed off. for, as we have
said, there is little or no loss of volatile
ingredients, while the soluble substances
would descend into the soil and be fixed
and saved there for the benefit Of crops.
And as to top-dressing, we would apply it
when most convenient, either directly after
moving, on grass land, or in the Fall, and
we prefer fall application to spring one,
for the reason that the land is less injured