The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-08
MANAGEMENT
 OF MANURE
THE USE OF ABSORBENT MATER IALS FOR PREVENTING
 LOSS IN HEAPS.
Winter Work on the Farms-Experi ments Demonstrate That the Plant Foods Are Easily
 Carried Away By Expos
 ura to Rains.

Philadelphia Record.
 The accumulation of barnyard manure is never overlooked on any farm. even when the manure is partially sighted at some seasons, as there are many ma terials which cannot be disposed of in any other manner than to add them to the manure heap. The value of the manure in heap, however, depends upon the ma terials from which 1t Is produced. Animals fed upon linseed meal and grain will void manure that Is richer than that from animals fed upon straw. As the foods vary in quality, so does the manure, for which reason no fixed value can be given the ingredients of the manure heap. A small accumulation Of manure may con- tain more plant food. and produce larger crops, than a large heap made from in ferior food and carelessly managed. The quantity of manure broadcasted on an acre one year may not consequently give the same results as an equal quantity on another field the following year. It Is this variability and composition of manure the causes disappointment at times when large yields are expected, and the cost of the manure Is much greater. pro- portionately. when manure Is inferior, for the reason that the farmer must expend as much in labor for applying inferior | manure as for that of better quality. GNcIy IdIIH SHOulu De well GQu1ppeu converting everything into manure that l cannot be sold or utilized on the farm. and the manure should be preserved in a manner to prevent loss and have the plant food in the most available form at the time of it's application.
 Experiments in Keeping Manure. Where experiments have been made to compare exposed and unexposed manures (as was done at some of the experiment farms) 1t was demonstrated that there was a greater loss of nitrogen and organic matter from exposed manure than from that protected. The former lost one-thirj of it's nitrogen and the latter about one fifth. Ten per cent more organic mat ter was destroyed in the exposed than in the protected manure. There is prac tically no loss of potash and phosphoric acid from protected manure. Exposed manure that Is routed may lose about one-sixth of it's phosphoric acid and some- what more than one-third of its potash. The chief changes. due to fermentation. take place within the first months of rotting,, and experiments show that there is no apparent benefit in rotting the manure longer than for a period of three months. When gypsum was used. three tons of horse and COW manure. mixed in equal proportions were allowed to ferment without the addition of any preservative. by way of comparison, with an equal weight of the same kind of manure inti- mately mixed with ground gypsum 0ard plaster) at the rate of fifty pounds of gypsum with every ton of manure. These lots were fermented at the same time in separate blns inside of a building the manure being fresh and competed as closely as possible. being undisturbed for four months. when they were weighed
 r%I.. dian experiment farms show that gypsum retarded, to a certain extent. the destruc- tions of animal matter. The amounts of nitrogen in both lots were the same. no useful results from the application of gypsum being, observed. The proper place to use gypsum Is in the stable. as it is in the stable that great loss of am monia occurs.
 Leaching Away of Liquids.
 When manure is kept moist the loss of potash cannot be prevented without a water-tight, non-ahsorhent floor, but when the manure heap is kept compact and moist there is no consid erable less Of ann monia. It is evident that if manure is exposed to rains. no matter what the absorbent materials may he. the water cannot pass down wi bout carrying soluble matter with it, and when the water reaches the bottom 1t must either go down in the ground or flow off in some other direction. Whatever substance has been dissolved out of the m1nurn remains in the water and passes off with 1t. The remaining materials of the heap may be almost worthless. but they re- ceive just as much attention, and as much labor is bestowed in hauling and spreading the substances as though the loss of soluble matter had not occurred It has been shown that when manure Is competed and the air kept out the fer mentation of the mass is not so ranid but when loosened and the air admitted fermenta ton begins. because the oxygen of the air influences chemical action When manure is under shelter the rains do not dissolve the plant food from the heap. and when tFe lquid manure is thrown upon the solid portions by pump ing or otherwise the solids become absor- bents and assist in retaining tho liquids All locations for manure should have water-tight bottoms for then any nccu- mutation of liquids can be retained and added again to the heap. The t1r1cS should be arranged into which all liquids from the stable should flow. so as to save the soluble matter.