The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-04-20

Manure, from Whlch we make the
following extracts:
A well-kept manure heap may be
safely taken as one Of the surest indi-
cations Of thrift and success. Neglect
of this resource causes losses which
are vast in extent.
The bulletin concludes with the
following summary Of the facts treat
ed:
First-Barnyard manure is the most
important manurial resource Of the
farm and should be carefully saved
and used. 1t represents fertility
which is drawn from the soil, and
must be returned to it if productive
ness is maintained. 1t not only en-
riches the soil with the nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash. but it also
renders the stored up materials Of the
soil more available, improves the me-
chanical condition of the soil, makes
it warmer and enables it to retain
more moisture.
Second-On the basis of prices
charged for commercial fertilizers, it
is estimated that the average value of
manure annually produced by each
horse or mule is s27; by each head Of
cattle, Sl9; by each hog, s12, and by
each sheep 81. Probably less than
half these values are actually realized
in practice.
Third-The urine is by far the most
valuable part Of the excreta Of ami
mails. It is especially rich in readily
available nitrogen, which rapidly
escapes into the air.if special precau-
tions are not taken to prevent Its loss.
It is also rich in potash, but deficient
in phosphoric acid. It should, as a
rule, be used in connection with solid
dung, the one thus supplying the de-
fcienoies of the othev and making a
more evenly balanced manure.
Fourth-Barnyard manure is very
variable substance, in composition and
value depending mainly upon: First,
age and kind of animal; second, quan-
t;t5 and quality Of food; third, pro-
portion of litter, and fourth, methods
of management and age. Ordinary
barnyard manure properly cared for
may be assumed to contain on the
average one-half per cent. each of nj
trogen and potash, and one.third per
cent. of phosphoric acid.
Fifth-Mature animals neither gain
ing nor losing weight excrete practi.
cally all the fertilizing constituents
consumed in the food. Growing ami
mails may excrete as little as 80 per
cent. Of the fertiiizing constituents Of
the food; milch COWS excrete from 65
to 85 per cent. fattening OF working
animals from SIS to 95 per cent. AS
regards the fertilizing value of equal
weights of manure in its normal con-
dition farm animals probably stand in
the following order: Poultry, sheep,
pigs, horses, cows.
Sixth-The amounts of fertilizing
constituents in the manure stand in
direct relation to those in the food.
As regards the value of ma, ure pro-
duced, the concentrated food stuffs,
such as meat scrap, cotton seed meal,
linseed meal and wheat bran, stand
first the leguminous plants, clover,
peas, etc. second, the grasses; third,
oats, corn. eto. /; fourth, root crops,
such as tlrnips, beets, etc., last.
The nitrogen Of the food exerts a
greater influence on the quality of the
manure than any other constituent.
It undergoes more modification in the
animal stomach than the mineral con-
stituents, potash and phosphoric acid,
and rapidly escapes from sshSmanure
in fermentation. The secretion Of
urine increases with the increase of
nitrogenous substances in the food
thus necessitating the use Of larger
amounts OF litter and affecting both
the amount and value of the manure.
The use,of watery foods, as is obyi-
GUS, produces the same result.
Seventh T;arnyard maAure rapidly
undergoes chnnge. Whe1 practicable
to remove the manure sud spread !:
on the field at short intervals the
losses cf valuable constituents need
not be very great, but when che man
ure must be stored for some time the
difficulties Of preservation are greatly
increased. &. .s5... 81. s sst
Eighth The deterioration Of man-
ure results from two chief causes (a)
fermentation, whereby nitrogen, either
as ammonia or-in the gaseous state, is
& set free, and {b) weathering or leach