The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-05-21

than well rotted barnyard manure. Be
sides its value in making a soil with
moisture so distributed that your crop
won't burn up" so soon In time of
droughts you also get a fertilizer which
makes root, stalk or stem, leaves and
fruit
In buying commercial fertilizers so as
to have something to make root, stem.
leaves and fruit for your crop, much
money is wasted in paying for things
which are not needed For an all round
fertilizer the farmer can rely almost
wholly upon barnyard manure.
Manure Prediction.
One COW is said to produce twenty-four
dollars worth of manure in one year.
This, at present prices, could be rated
at one ton of commercial fertilizer or
the value of fully one-half bale Of cot
ton. Just think of 1t; one COW saving
you at least a half bale of cotton per
year, The income from the butter, milk
and cheese would doubtless more than
pay for her feed and labor in taking care
of her. In most sections of the cotton
growing states pastures both winter and
summer can be had at very little cost.
Sometimes the native grasses are so
plentiful the year round, farm cattle cost
almost nothing in their keep
1t is very hard to tell just what one
ton of barnyard manure may return you
in money because of the fact OF its soil
building qualities. But its market value
has been carefully estimated and it has
been found that from the careful keep
ing of animals the following results, or
like proportions. may be had: Two horses.
brood mares preferred, $500; 2 colts,
$500; cows, $4,000; yearlings, $500;
hogs, 5000; mules, 5000: making a
total sum of $25lO0 worth of manure in
one year.
Many good farmers, |. e. men who work
hard and grow large crops, find them
selves loaded with debts often because
they are constantly buying things they
could easily get on without and also be-
cause they are paying interest on high
credit prices.
If you would sift down the commercial
fertilizer bill you would likely find it to
be one of the things coming under this
list of unnecessary, out of the way things
On the other hand the farmer must
understand that negligence or lack Of in
telligent care for his barnyard manures
makes its handling very expensive.
Care of Barnyard Manure.
Unless barnyard manure is very care
fully treated, six months from the time
1t is produced it will have lost about one
half its value as fertilizer. When cot
ton seed meal and hulls are fed not more
than an average of Is cents on the dol
lar is lost or rather left in the flesh and
bones of the animal. Likewise any other
food stuffs. Besides the manure If prop
erly cared for, will help out the growth of
the plants much quicker as a result Of
its passing through the animal. The
urine contains the greater part of the fer
tlizer found in the meal, etc. When man
ure is first voided, certain bacteria set
about to do away with the valuable part
of the manure. But If one is Industrious
enough he will be able 10 employ them
to help make the manure better instead Of
worse 1t should be kept in mind that
the ideal barnyard manure is the well
rotted manure with all the good feftiliz
ing qualities saved nitrogen, potash artl
phosphoric acid.) In order to gain this
ideal. the following are some of the
methods used:
/. Using absorbents.
q Composing.
g. Penning
A. Direct spreading.
AS has been said, the liquid part OF the
manure is the most valuable. The best
way to save this is to have plenty OF
bedding for your animal; removing that
part which becomes soiled as well as the
solid manure each day. Sawdust, leaves,
leaf mould, straw, etc, are considered
good stuffs for stall bedding In TINS
warm section many farmers during
spring. summer and fall, keep their cat
tie over night in a small patch OF iaho
near the barn in order to catch all lhe
manure. both solid and liquid. ms
land having been broken before the cat
tie were placed in it. Is rebroken, and so
continued until 1t has become very rich'