The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-27
farm aud Garden.
fertilizer Factory for the Farm.

FERTILIZER Factory for the Farm.
Our cornfeld has made an Impression
n favor of fowls. The poorest spots
look the best, because on them handful
N hen manure and plaster was dropped
each hill before planting. The value
n this application being thus so forcibly
demonstrated, l am led to think it would
/ Ne fal wiser for farmers to have la
boratory of their own for the production
N concentrated fertilizers rather than
pay out money for the numberless, and
b many cases valueless, compounds with
which the market abounds. Forty dol
ars, the price of a ton of the so-called
.phosphates, wonld go long way to-
yard the formation of such laboratory.
It would pay for the keeping of 100
fowls for year, who would perform
ehemical work about which there would
beno sham, and at the same time afford
ahandsome income in eggs and chickens.
hundred hens, with the addition of
iSo tons of plaster Costing not more
han $l0) to their droppings, would
make an amount of fertilizer which
would be worth more than two tons of
average phosphate costing $50.
My faith in this statement is strength
ened by the fact that 1 never apply hen
manure even in limited quantity, to
crop of any kind without perceiving
marked benefit, while l have. applied
several different kinds of the commercial
fertilizers without observing any in
creased growth. Many farmers for the
Jack of hen-house allow their hen ma
hure to go to waste, hens roosting under
Sheds or in trees, and supplement a |
scanty barnyard with purchased fer
FILTERS. One of the first things such a |
farmer should do is to erect a building
for his hens. 1t does not take very
profound calculation to figure out the
benefits of such a building; the cost may
be more or less according to elaboration
and fancy, but SOS will pay for hen
house for practical purposes. I am
quite certain that a hen managed &C
cording to our plan pays her way as an
agricultural chemist, aside from other
profits.
Most farmers mix their wood ashes,
leached and unleached, with the hen ma
nure. This is a mistake. They often
place it on top of the ground, which is a
stll greater mistake. The effect of ashes
is to dissolve the droppings, which sets
the ammonia free, and causes it to escape
into the air. Hen manure is strongly
impregnated with ammonia, which CON
stltutes its chief value; ammonia, being
q volatile alkali, may be fixed or retained
in the hen manure by the use of common
plaster (sulphate of lime) where it will
remain for plants to feed upon. Owing
to Its volatile character it should be
covered up as soon as possible, the earth
also assisting IN Its retention where it is
ln place for the rootlets to absorb.
Much of the ammonia contained in the
hen manure will be lost while it is being
deposited In the hen-house unless it is
kept covered with plaster. This should
always be done as matter of economy,
and for the health of the poultry. Where
there Is an accumulation of manure in
the. hen-house the escaping ammonia
%lll either drive the fowls out or make
them sick if compelled to inhale it.
Ihls is especially so in warm weather.
A barrel Of plaster should always be
Kept In the hen-house, and every few days
the perches and the floor should be
busted over with it. When the time
comes for using the manure it should be
Shoyeled over and plaster enough mixed
with it to make it dry and odorless. Or
dGFy muck or loan may be used, though
fql course much larger bulk is required.
IL was this kind of preparation which
made the marked difference in our corn
|held 1t is always best to put hoeful
Gt earth over the hen manure when
dropped in the hill to absorb the am
nonia, lest it may be so strong as to de.
93troy the germs Of the seed, which would
be likely to happen if the seed was
dropped directly upon it. The alkali in
ashes is not volatile, and hence ashes
may very properly be placed on the top
Of the hill after the corn is planted and
before it comes up; this is the best
method Of applying ashes, but the
quantity to hill must be small-not
more than may be held in the closed
9Sand.-F. D. CURTIS, ii " Y. Weekzy
Tribune.