Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-05-28
oNT PHGN1x AND RECORD AND FRIDAY 28 1886.

The VaIue Of Hen Mssure--.The Eff
feet Of Ashes MIXED with Manure or
FertiliEsrs.
The value Of hen manure, from the stand
point Of chemical analysis, seems 10 be
rather uncertain figure In the 1879 report
Of the Connecticut experiments station we bnd
a sample analysed showed a value OF only 80
per ton. In the 1882 report we find sam
pie showing an estimated value Of Sl9.4
per ton. The latter was reported quite dry,
and containing quantity of feathers. Con.
corning the 50 sample, Prof. johnson said
This result Of the analysis OF hen manure
Is perhaps disappointing. We are aooustom.
ed 10 hear Il said that the eXcrement OF fowls
is very rich, being, in fact, a domestic gusno
almost comparable to the guano Of Peru
The poverty Of this sample In fertilizing mat
ters stands In direct relation to the abund.
ance Of moisture and soil which II contains,
amounting together TO almost so per cent,
and leaving but 10 per cent, 10 include all
the fertilizing elements. The dry and pure
dung would contain over per cent. nitrogen,
q per cent. phosphoric acid and ~ per cent.
potash. But these percentages are, with the
exception Of potash, far inferior TO those OF
good gusno, and for two reasons: LIST, the
moist state of the manure has permitted a
decomposition whereby nitrogen has escaped
In the form Of carbonate Of ammonia. I'd,
the food Of hens, at the best, is much less
rich In nitrogen and phosphstes than that Of
the guano birds, which feed almost exclusive
ly on fish.
1.-THE sample when IL reached the station
was quite moist and eXhRled ammonia decid-
eddy, but II Is not probable that deoomposi-
ton had gone on far enough TO cause any
considerable deterioration.
In the same report Prof. johnson, in an
swer to question concerning the effect of
the potash of wood ashes on heterogeneous fer
tilizers, replies
"When ashes which contain carbonate of
potash are mixed with a heterogeneous fertil-
izer, the effects differ according to circum-
stances If the fertilizer contains its nitro
gen as nitrates or in the form of organic COM
pounds such as ish-sorap, flesh, blood, or the
similar albuminoids of vegetables, as in cas-
tor pomace and cotton seed, no nitrogen will
! be released, but when nitrogen exists in the
form of ammonia salts, then carbonate OF am
monia may escape, and will escape IL the
mass is moist and exposed to air and SUM- so
that the evaporation of the water takes place
Fish scrap often contains a little ammonia
salts, because II cannot always be dried be-
fore decomposition commences.
'In most cases, mixture of ashes with sta
BILE manure, hen dung, guano and other ami
NAL fertilizers will occasion no serious loss II
the mixture is shortly incorporated with the
soil, or il the mixture be covered with q lay
er Of loamy or peaty earth, because the guam.
tity Of nitrogen existing as ready formed am-
mouil in these fertilizers is usually very small
and the liberated carbonate Of ammonia is
perfectly retained by the moist earth. II
ashes are mixed with moist hen dung or
Peruvian guano, the smell OF ammonia ia at
once perceived. but addition of loan speedi-
| ly arrests the loss. II requires exceedingly
little ammonia to affect the sense of smell,
and the amount of loss is therefore easily
over 'stimated when judged of by the odor.
There is no objection 10 mixing sulphate
or muriate Of potash with any heterogeneous
| fertilizer"