The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-06-13
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CONSERVATION or MANURE.

The Profit In Stock Feeding is Frequently
| Confined to the Value Of the Manure Re-
turned.
| Some years ago, in England, careful
experiments were made to determine
the losses of nitrogen in farm yard
manure by the different methods of
caring for same. 1t vas found that
manure stored in heap under cover
lost IA per cent. of its nitrogen In IL
months, lost 80 per cent. when stored
in heap in the open, and 81 per cent.
when spread in thin layers in the
open. The necessity of some syste-
matte plan OF caring for manure thus
becomes apparent.
As the profit in stock feeding is fre'
quently confined to the value of the
manure returned, this profit may very
easily be reduced to infinitesimal pro-
portions by the cotnmoh yard-heap
method of storing manure as made.
The best method perhaps OF caring for
manure would be to have roofed-in
shed for storage, and to turn the pile
rs often as is necessary to keep the
moisture distributed pretty evenly
through the whole. But this means
greater expense than the average
farmer would care to undertake, and
in fact, more in many cases than the
possible saving would Justify. At the
same time a less expensive plan.
though possibly less exact in the pre-
vention of loss, may be used with
great advantage.
| Action commences almost imme'
diately after the manure is voided, and
it naturally follows that any meas.
ures taken to prevent loss must be
used promptly. In plain terms, the
nitrogen in the manure is converted
into ammonia-into form which may
escape as a gas. If the ammonia is
changed into sulphate of ammonia al.
most as rapidly as it is produced, very
little loss will occur, as sulphate is not
volatile.
The measures found most effective
In preserving the ammonia OF manures
Is to incorporate with the fresh ma
nure certain proportion of kainit, o,
sulphate of lime. The sulphuric acid
in these salts combines with the am
monia, forming the stable sulphate
In order that the reaction shall be as
nearly perfect as possible, the kainit
or gypsum should be applied daily be
fore the manure has become dry. In
some stables the application IS made
in the stall, but this is not always ad
visable, as the feet of the cattle may
suffer somewhat. A better plan would
be to miz the salt with the manure a
the time ,he stables are cleaned, which
should b., daily, of course. As mat
Ter of fac, the manure should never b
permitted to become dry.
Now as to the relative advantages o
kainit and gypsum. In the best prac
tice. kainit is always used, as it add
materially to the weight of the whole
reduces the percentage of valuable
substances In the manure, while gyp
sum only saves ammonia, and by add
ing to the weight of the whole, re
duces the percentages of valuable sub
stances in the manure. Another dis
advantage of gypsum is, that it con
verts the soluble phosphates in the liq
uid portion of the manures into In
soluble forms and of reduced value a
a crop producer.
The average production of manur
per month for the various kinds o
stock on the ordinary farm is as fol
lows: Sheep, 723 pounds; calves, 2,o3
pounds; pigs, 2,50s pounds, and horses
l,464 pounds. The amounts represen
the production Of 1000 pounds liv
weight of the different kinds of stock
A ton of average manure will contain
Potash ............... ...-..iI pound
) Phosphoric acid ............. pound
A horse weighing, say 1000 pounds
will produce 1,465 pounds of manur
in month. To properly care for this
IS pounds of kainit, or As pounds o
gypsum, should have been incorpc
rated with the manure as fast as
was made. The result with the use O
kainit would be 1900 pounds of ms
nure, containing IA pounds of ammo
MIA, 16 pounds Of potash and pound
of phosphoric acid. With the use @
gypsum not only would there be n
gain in manurial substance of an
kind, but the availability of the phos
phoric acid would be reduced. Thi
gain of five pounds of potash per to
seems very small matter, but it is ia
from being such. It is an increase G
IS per cent. on the potash content G
the manure, and the average farmyar
manure is too high for many crops
that is, too high as compared with th
available minerals.
A German authority fixes the quar-
tity of kainit and gypsum which ma
be used to the best advantage as TO
lows:
Horse q 900 lbsl per day .1s ozs q ozs
Cow $3.50 lbs.) peDday. ......2l
Pig (220 lbs per day.
Sheep Ql0 lbs.) per days.
This is figuring down to prett
fine point. but at the same time tn
data is undoubtedly valuable as
basis for judging the most advantage
GUS quantity to use. Personally a
ways use kainit in preference, but j
considerably larger quantities tina
are indicated above. My practice is
have kainit thoroughly incorporate
with the manure night and mornin
when the stables and stalls Al
cleaned. Neither the kainit nor Cyl
sum should be applied SO as to CON
directly in contact with the feet of tt