The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-06-26
Han Manure.

ss5ii Hs9GN!Ss
There has been much said, from
time to time, in your paper, about the
manipulation of hen manure for wheat
and corn desire TO state how I
have been doing it the present season,
in getting ready, for wheat this com
ing fall, twenty-five or thirty barrels
full. / wish to know from you if my
mode of manipulating is ill any de-
gree correct. In the first place, I
have my hen house so arranged that /
can scrape the manure from plat
form underneath the roosts into bar
rels; and what may fall on the ground
floor from perches not exactly over
the board platform I gather up each
morning and place in the same barrels.
TO this add enough plaster to partly
dry it, string and mixing well with
a shovel When l have filed three
or four barrels, which takes but very
little time, i remove to yard for the
purpose of refining. During the day
time | let it dry, as the top gets in a
Fit condition, Ihave sieve something
smaller than coal screen, and man
ipulated until the dry portions are re-
moved. This can be done once day.
At night / cover the barrel with two
boards, placing them so that should il
rain, they may be protected. Should
the evening be clear, with no prospect
of rain, Ileave thera uncovered dur
ing the night, in which case the sift-
ing can be done twice day--in the
morning and evening. | place the
Jumps IN a box or mud barrow, and
mash them with a block or hammer,
and should they be somewhat wet,
add little plaster, which will soon
put it in condition for sitting. AS
far as L can judge, L get two-thirds
pure manure andaa one-third plaster
and earth; mix nothing else with
it. BY this means / car make, from
seventy-fve or one hundred chickens,
several hundred pounds Of fertilizer
during the year, and which / would
not like to exohaugefor any phosphate
in existence. ol..,.
Now, what | want TO know is, do I.
manipulate in accordance with the
idea Of any one else ? Some say l
shoufd not mix plaster, as it does
more harm than good; Others say
should head the barrel up as ELL
them, TO prevent the ammonia escap-
ing, and not dry and sift, until l ret
ready for drilling wheat. while the
third intirnstes that il is not worth
the trouble take with it. did not
fully test it last fall on wheat, but
from appearances now my grain looks
just 80 we'll where Che hen manure
was drilled as where / put phosphate
costing $50 per cor. After harvest I
will write you more fully az to its
benefit where partly tested.
SUBSCRIBER,
Kent County, Md.
YOUR treatment gives a good ma
nure, ard if there is not much fer
nentation, of which you car readily
Judge, it will succeed well, but is at
tended with more labor than the mode
we have adopted. In the dry part of
the season, we ell as many barrels, or
boxes, with perfectly dry road dust
as we shall be likely TO need. Then
as the droppings of the hens accumu-
late, we gradually ell the barrels with
alternating layers Of hen manure and
road dust. The latter absorbs all the
moisture, prevents fermentation and
the escape ofgas,and may atany time be
finely mixed and pulverized by pound
ing on barn floor or III large kettle.
Road dust which has much clay in its
composition is much better then when
chiefly sand; the latter must be used
in large quantity. On the average,
twice as much dust SIS manure will
make strong and excellent compost.
You may add portion of plaster, if
your land is benefited by Is Country
Gef1tIenadn.
I'm THE CIRCUIT COURT-7th
Il