Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-07
Affect the Fertiliznq Value

4 bulletin has recently been is.-ned by
the depafimt 81 Of agriculture thai should
be road by All vino wish 10 set the most
from the fertilizers they have a. hand
Since he direct erIiiiziHS, value of
manure depends 50 largely upon the nitro
Een which .t CDnt3ins tine more import
90 % 1i3a7e !i.Ntsll.s-t IONS Fave takt n
TITO consideration mainly the ava liability
changes. ana causes and prevention CT
toss OF this substance II lbs been sl1Wu
tEat there Is q wide difference bclboeeu
he fertile ne value of tht nitrogen of taa
solid ana liquid parts of che manure. The
effectiveness OF the former has hefn
found in experiments TO 30 cniy ~ per
cont of that 0f Nitrate OF a1dl, while lhn
nearly equal to hist eff saiphate Of ann
ne)nit. The nitrogen OF the solid excre-
inent becomes available very Slowly in
the soil or N thu il2aB. while thai Of the
urine Is in seiua Die form rantd,g con-
veI.ed INTO ammonia which may Osctpe
into, the air. Experiments atd record, q
waith irdiea that he ffectlYenes sef the
nitrogen OF the solid e&crSMent Is not MAJ
1 fiallS increased d. mixing it with tae
liquid part the nitrogen Of such mixture
being decidedly less sIEtilahle than than
CT ei'1cr nitrate of soda, saiphate of aIn-
inonal or greco mauures. Iua conversion
a the nitrogen Ct ts3e Urine into ammo
Il,a. moreover. is apparently fastened by
the aainixture on solid cXeHemenf and
Straw.
The changes which manure urlergoes.
which 1t brings about IN Inc soil. aud
Ntlltfl ~ NAi&k-iN tttttE iElitlt It's ibEtilEI-,
value are mainly the work of micro-or-
gtlusms beings which. inse he coral reef
nuldais. are hfsigEi'Icslt.t individually
but which multiply with almost ineosl-
ce,valrle rapiflity. ard ate thus able 10 aa-
conpiish startling resu lts.
The same bulletin goes on TO sly that
these nicro-orGanisna gre on hand TO be-
gin their work as soon as the manure is
voiled; In fact il is claimed TINT manS
Of hem como from she stomach al the
animal along with the manure. At amy
t.;tc. he alr and he litter Of The stNbie
swarm WITT them. and rae otlor OF ammo
mia which pervai,CS he air very a5on
after the eXcrement II yoide1 Is evidence
that they commence their work promptly.
These organisms are OF various Kinds.
Some require air cor osSygenl Ia Grti@r 70
grow: others flourish only III tho absence
Of oxygen. Most of them iajpriously af-
feet the quality of the nsantIrc but some
ment CT manure becomes thus iargaly 4
question OF controlling these minute, mis-
cropie he ,nss; which n praesice can be
recognize only by their work
The mass effective means Of cheeRing
the aet.on Of these ORGANISMS which re-
qtlite oxygen for their growth ", VI
are Ieccf9lcd in which II was found tl.3t
shey were capal1le of completely convert
ing the nitrogen Of ul,ire into ammonia
which escaped ia ne air in twentyfour
hours Waen al. w1s freely adm tte,i but
that rae escape OF ammonia was almost
entirely prevented by excluding the air.
,ashcpsh the ritrc&eu Wa stu iirfeiy
converted ira5o sgfnfnobia Ths ffle
changes. Of course cecnr in The s5lid ok
crenlenF, but much more slowly In one
experiment snixsuses of dung and hitter
which were exposed 10 he ac.i9s cf the
air were found 10 lose AZ high rs II pas
ceat Of The nEiogen which thug cssi1
iaintd IN about seven months In other
experiments in whiah 4 current 81 air
Was afitwn through thg manure ne loss
wss over ~ fer eonS.
One b5iffi which fas been e3 II
brought ont hy recent inveyti. ic3 III
that tilc addition OF straw may very te.-
ciG@dly redaice the ftrtillzines N3lHe ~
manure, the Injurious effect being sreat-3
81 the larger tnc amount al sft,.& usttt
This is explained by fhc fact ut i
above that straw contains organisms
which convert the available nitrogen in
manures and In he soil into ferns whsch
the plant cannot utilize The excessive
use OF straw as litter under animals
should therefore he carefully avoided il
the most effective manure Is desired