The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-10-29

Inc lasting effects OF manure IS one u
its merits. Experiments have demon
strated that it lasts for many years. AT
the Indiana station. Professor Latta
showed that a heavy application was still
showing an effect in the thirteenth con-
tinuous crop of corn, making three push
els to the acre more than land unmanured.
This lasting effect makes it rather diff
cult to estimate the value Of a ton of ma
nure. Evidently the effect of manure on
a crop is affected by the nature of the
season, the quality of the soil, and the
kind of crop.
Calculated on the basis of its manurial
elements, a ton of average barnyard ma
nure, as determined by a large number of
samples is worth about $2.T5. In expert
ments being conducted by the Indiana
station, a certain series shows the ma
nure to have returned increased yields OF
grain, In one year such as to make Its
value range from 40 cents to "a per ton.
An application in one instance of five tons
per acre made an increase of twenty-seyen
bushels of wheat per acre. Another series
shows its value in the increased yields
from three crops to be from 10 cents to
sl..- per ton each year. 1t may be noted
that the increase in the third year was
greater than in the two previous years,
due some what to seasonal conditions. In
the continuous corn experiment cited
above, the increased yields of grain make
a value of almost 81 per ton. 1t should be
that there was always in
these experiments an increased yield of
straw and slower which would add to the
value of the manure.
Besides the factors cited above as in
huencing the value of anure there are
other very important ones which should
be considered In estimating the Nalue Of
manure. especially If 1t ls TO be purchas-
ed. The age and kind of animals is a
factor to consider. Young animals re-
move a much larger amount of nitrogen
and ~phosphorfc acid from the feedtwhich
they eat than do older animals. Growing
animals may throw off in their excrement-
as little as so per cent. of the fertiliZing
elements in the food; mich cows 65 to IS
per cent. and fattening or working ami
mails from so to So per cent. or more. The
manure from cattle and hogs is more
watery than that from horses, sheep, and
poultry and consequently does not fer
ment so readily. 1t is a cold manure and
is best adapted to sandy soils. A second
factor is the feed fed. A ration of corn
slower and wheat straw will not produce
as valuable manure as one of corn, clover
hay, and oil meal. The bedding used
should be a good absorbent, one that will
decay easily and add some manurial sub
stance to the manure. Wheat straw and
corn slower are ommon bedding and fill
the above conditions quite well. The
stoNer IL DeGteT SnTedQeQ. WneGner ma
nure is removed directlynto the: field or is
thrown in a pile and exposed to the
weather for several months makes a Diff
ference In its value as a plant food.
1t Is pretty well agreed that removing
directly to the field and scattered is the
most economical, so far as saving the
chemical elements OF the manure is con-
cerned. Since manure ~spreaders nave
come into use. this way of handling ma
nure has become more popular. The
spreader is always ready, scatters the ma
nure uniformly and any desired thickness,
ana may act as a convenient receptacle
for two or three ~cleanings before hauling
to the field. Manure hauled out and
spread as soon as made does not ferment
with consequent loss of nitrogen and per-
maps humus. is washed by rains
goes directly into the soil and is made
use OF by the roots or becomes chemically
united with other elements in the soil.
When manure is ploweds under the plant
food slowly made available, is taken care.
OF by the roots of the plants or is chemi-
caily united and the carbon dioxide and
acids produced from new combinations
and usually with increased available plant
food.
The common method is to throw it into
a heap in the barn lot or under the caves
OF the stable. This is wasteful Of plant
rood. One experiment shows a loss of
~ per cent. in six months from a pile OF
morse manure: another a loss Of "a per
cent. in 100 days. These losses came about
through fermentation and drainage from
the manure pile.
The fundamental principle in storing
manure is to keep 1T compact and damp
Cnot saturated, thereby preventing rapid
fermentation. Where animals are fed
loose in stables or sheds and plenty of
bedding Is at hand to absorb the liquids,
1t is not bad practice to allow the manure
to for some time before clean
ing the stables. In such way the manure
is kept compact and moist and the fer
mentation proceeds slowly and uniformly.
Inc pennsylvania station found that in
SIX months with steers there was a saving
OF $25O per head in this practice over daily
cleaning out depositing in the yard in the
usual manner. This saving was aside
from the labor involved. 1t was found.
however, that when the animals are re-
moved that the manure should be scat
tered at once.
Few farmers wilt go to the expense or
constructing specially planned manure
pits with cement bottoms and sides. but
all can have a concaye area with a nearly
or quite impervious; bottomsinto which the
manure can be piled rather deeply. kent
moist by the rains. and packed BY the
loose animals or in some other way. In
his way rapid fermentation will be pre-
vented and very little. if any. drainage
Will take place. II some land plaster Ia
scattered over the pile occasionally there
will be very little nitrogen escape. In no
case. however, should the manure be kent
n the pile longer than necessary and
wnen hauled TO the field. it should be
scattered at once. When allowed To
stand In piles in the field the juices wash
and soak into the soil under and around
the plies. thus making a poor distribution
of the plant food.
In general 1t seems best to apply light
dressings frequently rather than heavy.
dressings at long periods. AT the Indiana
station applications of two or three tons
per acre every year on wheat, corn. and
oats give, as good results as four to@six
tons. On q Vel organized farm of eighty
acres there g to be every gI25 tons
OF manure to spread. AT five tons per
acre the whole farm could be covered
every three years. Certainly this would
be better than to apply ten tons every six
years.
In g rotation OF crops the coarse strawy
manure should be applied to the one hay-
ing the most extensive root system. This
in a rotation OF corn, wheat or oats, and
clover. Is the corn crop. The manure
should he ptifR an tho c1o,,arS cnd -