The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-01-17
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
: ATLANTA, Jan. l, 1895.


izing with home manures or with COM
mercial fertilizers?
ANSWER 1.-The advocates of both
systems bring forward very strong
reasons to support their respective
positions, but the deciding OF
this question, like so many 9TH
ers in farming, depends in large de-
gree on individual conditions and envi-
ronment. Undoubtedly where both
have to be bought, commercial fertili-
zers yield better return on the same
amount than the home manure, but If a
farmer is SO situated that he can feed
his stock for milk, butter, cheese and
beef, he can, at the same time, produce
manures of the highest value, and thus
utilize every product of the farm to
the very best advantage. It is on the
same principle that the small merchant.
by selling on C strictly cash basis, is en-
abled to turn his capital over and over,
and realize larger interest on small
er investment than his more wealthy
neighbor who takes the risks of long
time and doubtful collections We have
always maintained that the use of farm
yard manure and fertilizers should go
hand in hand In confirmation of this
position the following from Professor
Brooks, of Amhurst Agricultural col
lege, is pertinent and complete. The
whole questionds most interesting, as
well as important, and farmers should
lose no opportunity of gaining informa-
ton from every source which may shed
light upon it. Professor Brooks says:
We sometimes read or hear language
which would lead one to think that in
the minds Of some there exists notion
that there is something of conflict be-
tween manures and fertilizers. This is
far from my idea upon this question. 1t
is clearly the part Of wisdom, first. to
make the utmost of home resources.
There may be crops or there may be
soils or fields for which, under certain
circumstances, it is preferable to use
fertilizers rather than manures; and, of
course, when one must purchase the
elements of fertility it is an important
question whether they can be more
cheaply obtained in manure or fertil-
izer, and believe the decision must be
in favor of the latter; but these facts
really Indicate no necessary conflict be-
tween the two classes of materials
There is clearly room enough for both.
Upon most of our farms the supply of
manure is insufficient. The majority
of farmers use some fertilizer. 1t is
generally wise for the ordinary crop of
the farm to use these in connection
with each other, rather than separately.
The physical effect of the manure is
generally desirable, and cannot be OBJ
tanned by the use of fertilizers. It pre-.
vents in a manure the cohesion Of the
particles in heavy clay and thus lessons
the probability of baking and cracking,
and it seems to increase the capacity of
the lighter soils for moisture. The con-
stituents of manure are also in many
cases less promptly available than in
fertilizers. 1t is desirable to employ
the latter to give the crop quick start
And finally, the manure is more COM
plete in its composition than the fertil-
I izer. The manure replaces, at least in
part, the soda, magnesia. silica, etc.,
removed in crops, while most fertilizers
do not. We may, it is true, raise crops
for many years by supplying the three
elements, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and
potash Incidentally lime is applied with
the phosphate)
Lawes and Gilbert have raised wheat
so consecutive years on the same land
on ammonia salts superphosphate and
sulphate Of potash; and at the present
time the yield is nearly as great ON this
land as on that which has received a
tons yearly of farmyard manure for the
same length Of time; but the yield on
the fertilizers now begins to show a
tendency to fall off, and there can be
no doubt that the more complete com.
position of the manure is proving an
advantage. Of course, in such mate
rails as common salt, sulphate Of mag
nesia. etc., we may replace, if consid.
cred desirable, the soda, magnesia, ETC.,
carried off in the crops, but even such
replacement would leave us without the
physical effect of manure-an effect
which we may it is true, in part secure
by turning ina green crop. Under
many systems of cropping, however,
green manuring is inexpedient.
QUESTION 2-In view Of the present
interest in dairying, would like to ask
how much manure can be expected
from each COW? From careful reading
on this subject, l conclude that the main
profit is in the manure, which if prop.
erly handled, goes to increase the fer
,tility of the farm