The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-20

~NA'lOStH .-...... ........... ....5l
PhoSphoric acid .......... ...... ......21
ctaSh 49,. ......-. 49,. .............53
The value of the above is about 81 30
per ton; and if we deduct the water the
actual weight of the dry matter is frac-
ton over 5S4 pounds, the value of which
IS about one-half cent per pound. When
it is considered that this manure is not
produced without an expenditure for feed
labor and liability of loss, its cost is
much greater than that of the average
fertilizers. as he farmer must handle the
great mass of water composing the ma
nure not only in the heap but in haul
ing and spreading it over his fields. forty
tons of such manure not being excessive
on an acre if the land is expected to give
such results as is often obtained by the
use of commercial fertilizers.
When IL is considered, however. that
manure heaps are composed mostly of alb
sorbents, and that when the farmer uses
his teams to haul the contents of the ma
nure heap TO the fields he must not only
handle a large proportion of bulky and
undecompOsed material and bestow a
large amount Of labor in collecting turn
ing over hauling and spreading, there is
applied to the land really but small
proportion of plant food, the cost of which
is greater than can be estimated by the
farmer. Dut as ne mas been taught TO be-
lieve that stable manure is a complete
fertilizer" he plods his way, year after
year, and ignorantly endeavors to i'm
prove his land, yet making mistakes ow-
ing to traditions and customs which are
difficult to overcome because he sup
poses the one kind costs nothing, while
the other is expensive. He will haul his
straw 70 the city and then haul Il back
to his farm from the livery stables. I'M
der the stIpposition that he is hauling val
liable plant food. when in fact he is sim
ply exchanging new straw for that which
has been used for bedding
The variability of manure is a matter
for consideration also. Only the best
food produces the highest grade of ma
nure. If the food is deficient in any par
ticular the manure will be similar Where
cows are in full flow of milk and the
products ere sent to the city markets
there will be large loss of nitrogen and
phosphoric acid, and even in the com
parison shown above, in the compo-
sition Of horse manure, phosphorc acid
was deficient. That such variations of
quality are at all times possible is too
well known 10 be discussed. but they
should be convincing that stable manure
is the most incomplete fertilizer used upon
the farm.
Are attacking stable manure? We
would not willingly place ourselves in
such a ridiculous position. We advise
farmers to use all of it that they can
procure, but we desire TO point out the
way to better results with it, The diff
Guilty is that the farmer does not have
one-tenth enough of It, He is compelled
to spread over ten acres the manure that
should be concentrated over a single acre
of land. He is compelled also to wait
for months in order to have his manure
become soluble, after it is applied on the
soil and he is subject to loss of crop. or
decreased yield, because his reliance has
been placed wholly on his manure What
is necessary is not only to use fertiliz-
ers and manure, but also to supply any
deficiency i'm the manure by the use of
such ingredients as win serve to "balan nee
the ration" for the plants according ia
the kind of crop, its requirements and the
adaptability of the soil to supply plant
food from the soluble substances which
it contains.
We believe that when che farmers as q
class understand that fertilizers and ma
nures are the same, and that they can
apply in a concentrated form, the Dlant
food desired, rather than to handle bulL
and entail labor, no manure will be con.
sidered complete unless it has been in
creased in value with the aid of the safe
that are always available when placed
in che soil.