The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-01-19
BY W. S. RHEA.


Value per ton. $3.50
Truck farmers at Norfolk pay for
green manure out of the livery sta
bles about SIS per ton. Those
around New York City from So to 81
per ton. This is about the average
near large cities. What is it worth
to grow farm products at their pres
emit prices? Sir j. B. Lawes after a
long series of the mos. careful ex-
perlments found that IA tons OF
long barnyard manure worth one
half as much as good stable manure
would raise the yield OF wheat %
bushels per acre, or ] J bushels per
ton. Last year l top-dressed wheat
at the time of planting with about
four loads per acre, worked it well
into the soil, and increased the yield
about eight bushels, or two.bushel
per load-equivalent to about a
bushels per ton, worth So. A COM
post in cotton drill netted about
So per ton. If season is dry or the
manure is green then the following
crop will receive about half the in
crease of the first.
In ten bushels of wheat with its
straw there are
Is pounds nitrogen.
I71a phosphoric acid.
9 potash.
| Or about what is found in one
ton of good manure. Then why
will not the ton of manure make 10
bushels of wheat? For several rea--
sons:
l. The manure is not sufficiently
decomposed.
2. 1t is not sufficiently pulverized
and mixed with the soil.
| 3. There is waste from exces-
slve rains, evaporation-resulting
from imperfect hiding under the
soil, from growing foul grasses,
weeds, etc.
2. How TO MAKE MANURE.-Ni-
trogen constitutes about half the
value in all complete and general
fertilizers. In stable manure its
value is $3.50 out of 81. In the
homestead corn and wheat grower
it is $21 out of SAT. We need not
trouble ourselves about the phos-
phoric acid, potash and other ele-
ments Of the manure, they will stay
where we put them, but upon the
approach of warm weather in the
spring this restless gentleman, find
ing his unpalatiar home getting a
little too warm for him, dons his
ammonia garments and fits away
upon the winged wind. The prac-
tical question with us is, how can
we induce him to stayf I will en-
deavor to answer the question.
! Carbon in the vegetable kingdom is
the brick and mortar with which
they build their houses or plant
structures. Oxygen is the frebrand
in the air that uniting with this
carbon lights the flame in the fire.
place, kindles the fire in the lungs
that keeps the body warm, that
finds its way as an element OF air
and water into your loose manure
pile, hunting out the carbon, apply
ing the torch and heating the whole
mass. Away flies the nitrogen in
the form of ammonia-that element
that constituted more than half its
value. After the confagration you
may gather up in the ruins the
white ashy tirefanged residum that
of course contains the mineral mat
ter. Now it is apparent that we
must exclude the air to prevent
heating or set trap for him In the
form of absorbents. The first is
practically accomplished by tramp
ing of the stock for the five months
running from September to March.
The second plan which / heartily
endorse is this: Spread In each
stall at intervals of month, more
or less, say two or three cotton has
kets full of woods earth. Then
about the same amount of cotton
seed sprinkled with one gallon of
plaster. On this put bedding of
say three or four baskets of clover
straw from the seed huller. As re-
moved from the stall to the field
sprinkle with ashes leached or I'm
leached. This has all the elements
of complete fertilizer, but to make
it fancy and strictly first-class,
sprinkle with bone meal or super
phosphate as with the plaster. The
plaster and woods earth will act as
an absorbent and take care of all
escaping gases. The cotton seed
will be worth to you at least so
cents per bushel. The clover straw
is a most excellent hedder and con-
tains just three times as much nj
trogen as wheat straw or Dat straw,
or even the best manure itself.
Thus the value OF the four tons of
manure from each COW or horse per
year can be easily raised from IS TO
SIG or $40.
| 3. COMPARED WITH COMMERCIAL
FERTILIZERS. Rated as are these
fertilizers, ton of manure is worth
about 81. We must still add to
this its greater mechanical effect in
keeping the soil loose and porous
and therefore more productive and
also something for large amount
of mineral matter. If this is twice
too high for us then must the fer
tilizers be also. Peter Henderson
says manure is cheaper at $3 per
ton than is any fertilizer. Stable
manure is the refuse after passing
through the animal. Commercial
fertilizers are composed chiefly of
the animal himseif-his hair, blood,
flesh and bones. 1t is deoderized
concentrated 'double extract of car
rion. They have their special val
ne in the market garden in pushing
and hastening the maturitv of