The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-08

materials may or may not be beneficial
to the soil. 1t is seen, then, that ma
nureS contain large quantities of mate
rails that can hardly be said to be fer
tlizers but which are useful In the anne
liberation of the soil and the Improvement
/ of its physical condition. Such substances
do not necessarily add 90 the active or
direct fertility of the soil, but they do de-
velop the latent, dormant, or potential
fertility. Fertilizers add to the direct or
active substances used in plant growth,
but need not improve the physical con-
dition of the soil A manure, then, may
nof contain any direct fertlizing elements,
but does improve the physical condition
of the soil. while a fertilizer may not
contain any ameliorating properties but
does furnish direct fertility. Perhaps the
most important material that can be put
upon land is barnyard manure. This ma
nure contains some direct fertility, or fer
tllity that will soon become avaAable,
large amounts of vegetable matter, and
/ large amounts of water. The actual per-
centage of fertilizing materials, or plant
/ food, in barnyard manure is small, as 1t
/ is but percentage of the dry matter,
and the dry or solid content is smaller on
account of water.
/ With green manures the water content
is about the same as that of wel-rotted
barnyard manure The composition of
barnyard manure depends upon the anil
NAL, upon its food, and upon the subse-
quent treatment of the manure. The kind
/ of litter or bedding used is also very int
/ portant in determining the character Of
the manure. One of the common and one
of the best ways of disposing of a crop
/ is TO feed it to stock upon the land
where Ii was grown. The manure from
the animals will nearly replace the fer
I nlity that has been removed by the plants,
and at the same time improve the physi-
. % .gIz--
and farmers favor buying rich feeding
stuffs that they may feed their stock upon
the land and thus derive a double benefit
/ from the feed. When bran is fed to milk
cows about so per cent. of the plant food
! is left In the manure. When the cows
are not giving milk the manure will con-
tain nearly all the plant food that was
fed them. When the feeding Is done at
the stable or in the feed lot the manure
must be cared for and hauled out and
put upon the land by the farmer. Until
1t can be hauled out, however, it must
be seen to that it uoes not leach and lose
its fertility. To prevent this the manure
should either be kept covered. or, as that
course is often too expensive, it should be
put in pit" The Dit is a slightly
bowl-shaped depression where the manure
VIII be prevented from washing and los
ing its soluble ingredients. Manures Of
ten lose so per cent. of their value by
poor care during the winter and early
summer.
For the best results barnyerd manure
should be well rotted before 1t is placed
upon the land. This can be accomplished
best in the pit or heap. When applied
to the land II should not be too dry or 1t
will not decompose readily after being
turned under. 1t should be spread upon
the land thinly and evenly and never
piled in heaps as is so commonly the case.
1t should be spread evenly when It is first
hauled out 1t IS no more trouble than to
pile 1t up and spread it later, thus hand
ling 1t twice. Barnyard manure. then.
while it contains small percentages of
plant food, is more important in improv-
ing the physical condition of the soil. 1t
should be well cared for in the yard or
pit and spread evenly and ttinly upon the
land.