The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
Hen Manure in the Garden.

A WRITER in the american Agricatl-
t,rist says:
One of the best fertilizers within
easy reach of the farmer and villager,
is the hennery. This often goes TO
waste, and the hens find their own
lodging in trees, and on sheds, and
other outbuildings. But on most
farms there is roost under cover,
where the droppings accumulate and
are kept in dry state. AS rule, not
much care is bestowed upon it. Often
it lies upon the floor without absorb
ents, the ammonia constantly escaping,
to the injury of the fowls. Sometimes
it has an annual cleaning, but oftener
it lies for years only wasting. Analy-
sis shows it to be exceedingly rich In
nitrogen, worth a cent pound, or
more in the state in which we usually
find it. If all its good properties were
carefully gathered, and saved by the
use of abssrbents, it would be worth
much more than this. There are two
ways of doing this, equally effectual-
daily sweeping and gathering into bar
rels or boxes, OF by frequent deposits
of absorbents under the perches. The
former method involves good deal OF
labor, and is resorted to only by those
who insist upon the utmost neatness i'll
the hen house. The droppings depOs-
tied in the barrels are covered daily
with plaster, dry peat or some other
good absorbent. Our own method is to
apply the absorbents frequently under
the roosts. The hennery has &C.
mented floor, and is built into bank,
fronting on the south, with large
supply of windows to give light
and heat. Spring water is brought
into the poultry-hOuse by a pipe,
and by the turning of a faucet
constant supply of fresh
water is secured. The whole floor is
covered with absorbentS of various
kinds, in which the fowls scratch and
dust themselves as freely as they
please. The staple absorbent in sum
mer is dry garden soil or road dust,
gathered as the state of the weather
permits. In the winter it is sifted
hard-coal ashes from the furnace. In
addition to this, sea-Weed and the
wrack from the shore are frequently
thrown in, which furnishes food fol
the fowls us well us helps the manure
heap. AS soon as the smell of ammo
MIA is detected, more earth is added,
and thus the pile of manure grows
gradually through the year. 1t is re-
moved us often us manure is wanted
in the garden, at planting, or to assist
growing crops. 1t needs to be useC
| with caution, either in the dry OF
! liquid state. We have large faith il
the economy of liquid manure, applied
to fruit and vegetables i'll the summer
| 1t is very good in dry weather, anC
not much less good in wet, if the sol
! Is well ufalneQ. Inc quantity OF
water that plants will take up i'll the
growing season is wonderful. We
keep large tank, which is supplied
with manure and water from the hen
merry, and frequently applied to CIT
cumbers, squashes, melons, tomatoes
cabbage, and to grapeVines and Other
small fruits. The liquid manure add:
much to the vigor of the plants, an(
the size and quality of the vegetables
and fruits. TO those who have never
tried it, we think the free use of Liquid
manure will open new revelation il
gardening. Try it on the flower Dor
ders and on all the growing crops.