The Portland daily press., 1895-02-16
STABLE MANURE.


How to Double Its Value.
Numbered with other papers Of value
submitted to the Connecticut state board
of agriculture was one on stable mannre
by DR.. q. Ell. Jenkins. In this paper at
tention is called to several facts ncs gen.
orally known. Following are extracts
from this paper which touch on these
facts:
The value Of stable manure is usually
calculated from it's contents Of nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash alone. But
it's value, particularly for our Connect
icut soils, does not wholly consist in
these things. No, nor i'll 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 nitrifcation in
our soils-the humus producing organic
matter, those 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 goo
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 i'm
portant uses in the soil. Bedding is not
used as much as it should be. Wherever
black pool of dung liquor is standing
in the barnyard, or constant trickle OF
the same liquor is running off to some
water supply, there is sign of loss.
It is quite possible by use OF extra
care and some small outlay in the be-
ginning for manure sheds, without the
purchase of extra cattle, to double the
manure production of large proportion
of our farms by the free use of litter
and rational handling of the manure
heaps. The truth of that statement is
easily demonstrated The belief is that
on a very large number of the farms in
this state that could be done without
lessening the value of the manure,
pound for pound, as calculated from it's
fertilizer ingredients.
DIR. Jenkins had much to say on 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 in the
heap. AHneap thus made may yet lose in
a half year by fermentation quarter
of it's nitrogen and third of its organ
ic matter. This loss of nitrogen can be
wholly prevented and the loss OF mat
ter reduced thirds by the use of pre-
servatives The two preservatives which,
with our present knowledge, seem to 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 be used from to q
pounds of mixture of 100 parts of dis
solved South Carolina phosphate rock
and rs parts of plaster. Of kainit the
proper amount per day and head of
stock is % to 2 pounds.