Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-01-26
Farmer.
LOSS OF FERTILIZERS ~ THE
SOIL
nv nrSRr REYNOLDS

/ some AGRICULTURAL fetutf- =. rohtNuse
novel proposition. The soil Il generally
regarded a. the safest OF places In which
% put fertilizers Of AL klnds to guard
against loss. When the farmer has min
clsd bis barn manure with the soil, he feels
that Al last he has placed II where no more
loss will attend a. A long A. II remains
In heaps ahout the barn or In the nsli, the
owner feels a little disturbed lest the rains
aud The winds should waste it, substance,
ami IL l. with feeling of relief that be
sees II mingled with the soil where he be.
lieve. that the future crops will be sure of
all it, fcftiliflng elements. When 10 IL
saii that fertilizers are not, even when
placed In the soil. sure 10 be fully svslla-
be for The use Of plants, 10 looks Ike a.
sailing old. and well established opinions :
vt nevertheless. 10 IL noue the less true.
Fertilizers Mingled with the soil are avail.
ahlc for the use 90 plants only In part, aud
the other part may remain inert In the soil
for grsss large part OF the plant food
couiAued Ia barn manure, when sppird
n The soil. remains locked up a. II were.
for years. and is unavailable fof the use OF
plauis.
WHAT ExFEEiNENrs HAVE PROVED
Carefully conducted experiment.. have
proved that a part of the fcrtllirlng elc-
meuts applied ~ the soil sre not recovered
In the crops, bot remain there Al least for
several years. Messr. Laves Gilbert OF
Engisnd. have carefully expefimentcd for
many years a. determine among other
things. how much Of the fertilizers applied
% the soil were recovered la the crops
harvested The fertilizers applied were
weighed ard analyfed, and the crops har'
vested were also weighed and AnalyIei.
AM The results compared With those OBJ
tainsd from unmanursd portions ~ ground.
IN these experiments they founi that Ia
the cultivation 20 cereals. they recovered
ONLY Atr'rs more than mn % the nitro
gen ln the stahc insure. and not more
than hAlf - The nitrogen In ammonlacsl
salts OF ntraics. Not All The potash sni
phOsphoflc acid were recovered Ia the
crops.
Mf f.aNes says of biz Crperiments ITO
give some lieA Of oar attempt io csilnIc
TIE lOs. of ingredients coutslncd In duug.
may say thA, wc applied Il o. grass land
heiWsca i.5i Aud lees. ani having taken
= crop of hay every year sinee, A. The eni
10 twcnty Years Nc bad got back niteen
Per ccui ~ The nitrogen supplied Ia ihe
mauurc. lrss than one hall The potash, ani
nj much more than one. ihlri of The phos-
phprIc acli The eject % The dung last
applied elghircn years agD, !, silN qllie
distinct. ani when II will come u an cod,
% one can predict" Thus u will BE- seen
manurcs applied - grass land even amer
twenty ycars hal fAilei to yield ouly part
of their fcftinf.us elements - The success
sivs crops
Emerson says Nature. iike scareful
irsiainr. ties up her estate - a. no, 10 be-
sios 10 al on oue gencrailou, bat has
flfsi0okiug tenderness Ani sqlal regard
- The usxt. ani The next, aud The fonrth.
aui The fofileth Agr Farmers, however,
80 not Ike to have nNurc tie up In The
earth their deposits % fertilizer. for the
use ~ the heat generation. They prefer
% obtain ihe ful Elects themselves.
nov c,N ruE Loss HE rKEvENrEpi
How can thl. loss be- prsvruisdf l. the
practical question. ani. unfortunately.
4. m -uli one 20 answer. IL l. noticeable
that In Mes.rs. LAwes a Gllbrrts expert
neuis they were Ahle ~ recover In the
crops ~ cereals shout hall of the nitrogen
applied Ia the form of Ammoula salts ani
nltrAiss. while of the uitrogeu In stable
MANURE ouly Aboui one nfth wAs recovered.
Frum this fact ~ nav inicr that N tue nj
trogen of stable manurc coaid be converted
Into ammoulacai salts aud nltrAies before
app'ylug 10 The soil. three ilmss the ~ CO
would be obislnei that IL deriVci by sp-
plying ii in its usual coniition. Can the
nitrogen 90 stable manure be- converted
lnio ammouiacAl salt. ani ultratssf ToA
certain extent 10 can. hy the process %
decomposition. A part % ~. ~ least, can
be- transformed Ia this way. The process
% decomposition must be watched With
consldsrabic care lest the AmmouiacL gas
a. IL fosm.. escape into the air ard be lost.
n the manure heap IL allowed 90 become
dry while tecomposlug. TIE Ammonia Will
80 a9e ani be- lost By keeping The heap
mui.t ani compact. The Ammonla Will b.
A1sorbei by The moisture, - water tasa
surprising srinliy for II. By spflnkllrg
ground plaster over The heap Occasionally,
Any Ammoaia iha. might otherwise Escape
wlii be arrested aud absorbed
No better method % decomposiug bara
manure d. generally available than Allow.
lng hogs 90 run upon II, work 10 over, and
promote - dlsiniegrAil0n. IL has some
umes been advised 10 shovel over mannre
several times before applying Il TO the soil.
10 order % make II fne and readily avail
able for The use OF plants. II i desirable
10 have The manure zoe. but IL costs con-
siderable % shovel over large quantity
% dressing several times. Every time II
l. shoyelled over, The cost OF u Is In
creased
IIogs. however. may be allowed 10 work
IL over daily. throughout the year, and
make Il better every time wiihOat Incur.
ring expense. By the adoption OF some
means by which the decomposition OF the
manure male by domestic animals. can be
Elected without loss. IL is believed that
much better results will be obtained Ia ap-
plying II % the soil IL has been shown
In exp,rimnets Ia raising barley, that with
nitrogen Ia the form OF ammonlacal salts
whlc5 Are soluble and readily avsilsole Tor
ih- use of plants, a. great an ef-ci was
ob;Ained from Une pouni ss from i've lhs.
of n'irogen 10 ihs form 10 which II occurs
IN barn manure.
In order 10 render the nitrogen or farm
manures more soluble and availsbls for
plants. they shOald be well decompOsed
before applying 10 the soil. by so doing.
there will be less loss OF fertlliring ele-
ments In the soil.
Lirsrnore Falls. Ne.