Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-07-29
5punltutal.
,fanmres and their Wasfe.

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j. j. Thomas write.: IL wonli hc
glad TO see in the Walks and Talks ca
the Farm some remarks an the common
ouiuion that manure spread in summer
wastes by exposure To the air. hsNe
not performed experiments in this way,
hut have long been ius tho practice
of spreading manure both la autumn and
winter, more especially on grass to be
ploughsd under for corn in the spring.
The complete diffusion Of the soluble
manure by rains and melting SHOWS
renders il about twice 40 useful as by the
more imperfect mechanical intermiNtu:e
when spread and ploughed under in
spring. Now, suppose manure is
spread early in summer on grass or
other hand. will not rains wash it into the
soil equally wells IL the summer is
dry. why viii not the manure lie on the
surface until the rains comes ? What
becomes OF il? | AIN aware that this
inquiry is oGen made, but would like
to have an answer. and would esteem
hs personal favor"
To these inquiries Mr. Harris responds
as follows:
II we spread say 10 tons Ot ordinary
BARNARD manure on an acre of grass
land in the spring il makes quite show.
But harrow il two or three times al in
tervals of few DAYS. and it is surprising
how rapidly it disappears What becomes
of it:n This Is tons Of ordinary man.
ure would probably be composed OF
Wafer ys,OOOlhs.
Csrbonsceous matter. zoe lbs
Mineral matter ~ IDS
Nitrogen, 10 lbs
In our dry climate aud in hot summer
weather the p. 900 lbs. of wstsr would
soon evaporate. We should then have
5000 lbs. of dry matter spread over an
acre. or not quite three ounces on a
square loot. II this matter was reduced
to powder it could hardly be ssen on the
surface OF the land, and we might think
that the manure had gone TO waste.
while in point of fact nothing had been
lost but water. In this 5000 lbs. of dry
manure there is 1000 lbs. of carbon, by
drogen and oxygen. 1t is believed to
possess comparatively little fertilizing
value. All that We have TO look to, then.
is the $50 lbs. OF mineral matter. and the
l50lb.. of nitrogen. No one suPPoses
that the mineral matter will waste by
exposure 10 the atmosphere. The only
risk OF loss is from the $50 lbs. Of nitro
gen. twas formerly supposed that the
nitrogen in iermented manure existed IN
The form OF carbonate OF ammonia. anu
that when the manure WAS exposed to
the atmosphere the ammonia evaporaied.
The carbonate OF ammonia would eyap-
crate; but it has been ascer,ained that
barnyard manure rarely contains any
carbonate Of ammOniS.
Ii we should spread fifteen tons Of
green clover on an acre OF land we
should furnish
Water s4eo0 lbs
Carbon, &c, $40 lbs
Mineral matter, 400 lbs
Nitrogea, lSo lbs.
5000 10,
The nitrogen in the clover exists in the
form OF substances analogous to albu
men or white Of an egg. and which it is
convenient 10 speak OF as "slbuminOids.
They are what are sometimes called the
"fesh-forming principles" OF food. as
distinguished from the carbonaceous or
''heat- forming principles" The fifteen
tons of green clover contain little over
half ton of albuminoids. and nearly
TWO and one.iourth tons OF carbonaceous
matter. AS before stated; these albu-
minoids in fifteen tons Of green clover
contain $50 lbs. Of nitrogen. For food.
the albuminoids. as such. in connection
with the carbonaceOuS matter, are OF
great value as food for our animals but
for manure The albuminoids are yalu.
able only Tor the nitrogen which they
contain. The plants do not need The al.
bumen Is such. II must be first decom.
posed and converted into ammonia or
nitric acid. How to effect this change
without loss and At the least expense is
what VIC want ~ ascertain.
II we plough under the fifteen Ions
OF green clover it will gradually de-
compose. and sooner or later the albu.
minoids, with more or less loss nitro
gen in the gaseous form. will be con.
yertsd into ammonia or nitric acid, and be
taken up BY the subsequent crops. There
are two objections to this plan. 1st.
We plough under about $500 lbs. OF nu-
tritious food. capable of producing flesh,
fat, milk. buttor. cheese, and wool. tor
The mere purpose Of furnishing plants
with $50 lbs. Of nitrogen. %. We DO
not furnish this nitrogen in = form i'm
nrediately available as food tor plants.
II is quite probable that the wheat
sown on the lsad where clover is
pleughed under does not get moro
than from one-third to one half the
nitrogen. The remainder lies dormant
in the soil, or is inaccessible TO the roots OF
wheat, and may remain in the soil IN
til taken up by the next crop OF clover.
in part. for the sake of furnishing nit
rogen for another crop OF clover two,
three. or four years hence.