Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-03-08
STABLE MANURE.
Eounc Facts About 1t Not Generally X nowr
How to Double Its XnIue.


How to Double Its Value.
Numbered with other papers Of value
submitted to the Connecticut state board
Of agriculture was one on stable manure
By d.. r.. II. jenkins. In this paper at.
tentiol is called to several facts not gen
orally known. Following ore extracts
from this paper which touch. on these
facts:
Tho value of stable manure is usually
calculated from its contents OF nitrogen,
phosphoric acid end potash alone. But
its value, particularly for our Connect
icut soils, does not wholly consist in
these things. No, nor in all cases chiefly
in these things. There are in it things
of value to thin soils which commercial
fertilizers cannot supply, things with
out which commercial fertilizers cannot
produce their full effect, things which
in most marked degree regulate the heat
and moisture and so the nitrification in
our soils-the humus producing organic
matter, these things which when
properly rotted make the black mold
that holds and carries water like
sponge, which makes leachy soils more
reteutive of moisture and prevents soils
on which fertilizer chemicals are used
freely year after year from becoming
hard to work and cloddy. This humus
TO which no money value is attached is
the valuable part of the manure because
it is the part which we cannot get in
commercial fertilizers nor in so good IL
condition in any other way than through
the manure pile
Hence it is important to have, with
the excreta of the cattle, an adequate
supply of litter, and that litter serves
double use. 1t is not simply an article
of comfort or luxury to the COW or
means of keeping her decently clean. 1t
adds very largely to the value of the
manure, decaying along with it and
forming humus which serves these inn
pOrtant uses III the soil. Bedding is not
used as much as it should DO. Wherever
black pool of dung liquor is standing
in the barnyard, or a constant trickle of
the same liquor is running off to some
water supply, there is sign of loss.
1t is quito possible by use of extra
care and some small outlay in the be-
ginning for manure sheds, without tho
purchase of extra cattle, to double the
manure production of large proportion
of orr farms 10y the free use of litter
and rational handling of the manure
heaps, The truth of that statement is
easily demonstrated. The belief is that
OF very large number of the farms in
this state that could be done without
lessoning tho value of the manure,
pound for pound, as calculated from Its
fertilizer ingredients.
DIR. Jenkins had much to say OH the
care and preservation of manure Fol
lowing is brief summary: If manure
is exposed TO teaching, it is to be ex
pected that it will lose the greater part
of its value. Having protected the pile
from these losses, the most important
thing for It's preservation is to have it
made level and tightly packed i'll tho
heap. A heap thus made may yet lose in
a half year by fermentation a quarter
of its nitrogen and third of its organ
ic matter This loss of nitrogen can be-
wholly prevented and the loss of mat
ter reduced two-thirds by the use of pre-
serVatives. The two preservatives which,
with our present knowledge, seem 10 be
the cheapest are superphosphate gyp-
sum and kainit For manure TO be used
moderately on heavy soils perhaps SUI
perphosphate gypsum is preferable; on
light sandy soil, kainit For preserving
manure there may he used from to | l.,
pounds Of a mixture of 100 parts of dis
solved South Carolina phosphate rock
and - parts of plaster OF kainit the
proper amount per day and head Of
stock is =, to , pounds