The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-04-09
MANURE.
Some speculations Relative to Its Manu-
facture and Use.

facture and Use.
One of the most important questions
affecting the future welfare of the farmer
is the question of keeping up the fertility
of the soil. If farming is so conducted
that the farmer. is continually exhaust
ing his capital, the soil. bankruptcy can
only be a question of time. If the farm
ers should grow the ordinary rotation
of crops, selling off the farm all the
fruits, vegetables, grass, straw and
grain grown, it is evident that, while
he would be selling his products in their
cheapest, least valuable forms, he would
be reducing constantly the amount of
food for crops in his soil, diminishing
its capacity for producing future crops.
The farmer who on the farm
only what is necessary to feed his family
and such animals as are needed to work
the farm and supply the family with
such meat, milk, etc., as it needs, sell
ing the remainder, is reducing the farms
fertility a little less rapid, but nom the
less certainly. The farmer who works
| enough stock to consum all the hay,
straw, corn, a t and barley, converting
all of these products into beef, mutton,
wool, milk, pork, eggs, etc., and selling
them in such forms, generally receives
more money for his products and re-
tains a larger percentage on the farm to
feed future crops, than by any other
| disposition he can make of his farms
products.
There is still another way: The.
farmer who converts his products into
animal forms. selling in their crude
state only his wheat, potatoes, beans
and fruits, purchasing and feeding
enough meal, middlings, oil meal, ETC.,
to equal the plant food sold, and care
fully saves and %judiciously applies the
manure to growing crops. may accumu-
late money and keep his principal, the
ingredients OF crops in his soil unim-
paired. After having done all of this
many farmers really increase the fer
tility of their soil, under crops, by a
judicious purchase and use of CONNER
cial fertilizers, some forms of nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash. When. a
farmer is able to do all of this he is a
successful farmer.
Next to the question of making all
the manur consistent with true econ
omy, it becomes a question of hardly
.less Importance how best to save and
use the manure. Forty OF fifty years
ago, while the farmer understood some
thing of the value of the solid excre-
ments of animals, but little effort was
made to save the liquid excrements.
Since then chemistry has taught him
the value of the latter, and considerable
effort is made to save them by using
litter under the animals to absorb their
liquids, or by draining them into
o~,k%o~o crrD,Gnl NTH ahporhonfc
Doubtless few farmers make all neces-
their domestic animals, but progress
has been made in this direction.
But how shall the manure be saved
from loss through decomposition, evap-
Grafton, solution, etc.P Forty years ago
much was said about composing ma
nures, mixing them with absorbents, SO
that decomposition would be slow, and
the volatile parts, the ammonia espec-
tally, would be taken up by the absorb
ents. Practical farmers found that this
involved too much labor, handling over
the manure and absorbents too many
times. Finally, practical farmers con-
ceived the idea of conserving manure
by applying it to the soil as fast as
made, and allowing the soil to act as an
absorbent. The greater bulk of the ma
nure made on the farm is when the an
imals are up from pasture, from the first
of November to the first of May, and 9
large proportion of farmers apply this
manure to sod and for corn. Consid.
cradle experience has satisfied them
that if this is drawn out daily
or weekly, and spread upon the sod,
more beneficial effects will be visible in
the next seasons crop of corn than by
keeping it in the barn yard and apply.
ing it in the spring. We have been
assured by farmers that have com.
menced in November drawing u and
spreading their manur on sod, contin'
uing it up to the time of ploughing fol
corr in May, that the best corn in the
field was where the first manure was
applied and the corn diminished gradu
ally to the last application before
plouehing. The manure can gal
nothing in plant-food by lying in a pill
in the barn-yard or under a shed or il
a b~arn-cellar, and it must inevitabl,
lose something"
out upon a sodp. Experience says not
The small proportion of ammonia re
leased by slow decomposition is prob
ably absorbed by the moisture presen
and gradually washed into the soil, ant
the soluble portions are also washed in
Then the effect of the anu az a mulcl
is beneficial. Scientists have not salts
factorily explained the good effects o
mulch, summer and winter, upon soil
but experience has borne witness to il
For gardening operations of man
kinds it seems quite important tina
stable manure should be rotted dow
fine, but for ordinary farming purpose
it is seldom necessary. Well-rotte'
manure undoubtedly costs several time
!, more than crude manure, and the es
ira cost is only returned where tn
products are much valuable tina
ordinary farm crops.
!, The manure made through summe
appears to be used to best advantage a
, a top dressing for wheat. 1t is gen
orally applied after ploughing and har
rowed in. Perhaps, if applied upon tn
surface Just before drilling, it would b
+ quite as beneficial, if it would not in
, terfere with the drilling. Commercis
fertilizers have generally been foun
, most useful when drilled in with tn
seed. That, with a great many farm
ers, they have added very much to tn
yields of wheat, barley, oats, corr
, beans, etc., we have had abundant ev
dence during the last twenty-five year.
On some soils they do not appear to b
! effective. What soils they will benet
and what not not can only be detel
q mined by experiment.-Rurat Home.