Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-21

cement floor better still It will cost
but little to care for the manure prop
erly. Fermentation may be prevented
in dry weather by keeping the manure
heap wet. Two kinds of bacteria de-
stroy manure, namely, thosC which de-
velop in the presence of a plentiful
supply of oxygen and those which de
velop in the absence of air. If the
manure heap is loose the air-loving
kind will develop. and as a result the
temperature will be raised and fire-fang
ensue. The addition Of water will pre-
vent this condition. Horse manure is
quite uniform in composition and fer
ments rapidly. Cow manure is moro
variable in composition because Of the
greater variety Of food consumed, and
is colder and does not ferment readily.
Pig manure also ferments slowly and
IL variable in composition. Poultry
manure is the richest product on tho
farm. and being comparatively dry 1t
ferments rapidly. The mixing together
OF these manures will insure their be-
ing preserved to better advantage.
Farmyard manure is not a rich fer
tilizing material. containing from to
Is pounds Of nitrogen, to pounds
Of potash per ton. Manure benefits the
soil. therefore. more largely because
Of its influence on the mechanical con
dition than because OF any considerable
quantity of plant food IL supplies to
It. One OF it's chief virtues is the
fact that 1t furnishes humus to the
soil. increasing it's water absorbing
and retaining power. It helps the tex
tere. making leachy soils more reten-
tive and clay soils more porous. In
its decomposition heat is generated.
and II also exerts a favorable action
on the fertilizing constituents Of the
soil through the generation of carbonic
acid gas. This increases the solvent
power Of the soil and renders available
some OF the plant food locked up in it.
The organic acids formed also aid in
bringing the fertilizing constituents Of
the soil into a condition useful to
plants.
Farmyard manure of itself is not a
well-balanced fertilizer, being too low
in phosphoric acid and potash for
mucn OF our southern soils, but IL can
be used as one of the principal
sources OF nitrogen and to supply veg
etable matter to the lana. On most
OF our red clay lands. and especially
on our sandy lands. muriate of potash
or kainit and acid phosphate should be
used in addition. A 1914 goods usually
from two to five tons Of farmyard ma
nure can be applied in the drill row.
All the evidence points 10 the def
cheney of our soils in these two es
sential mineral elements, hence the ne
cessity OF using them to balance up
and render farmyard manure more ef-
ficient.
There are millions of animals on the
farms OF the south, the excrements Ct
which are allowed to go to waste. AMI
which constitutes one of the most APP
palling losses in the aggregate thus
suffered as well as permitted by. our
farmers. The excrements Of a horse
or cattle beast properly conserved
should be worth $500 a year to the
farmer. In view Of the essential
character Of farmyard manure in i'm
proving our wornout lands and main
tanning the supply Of humus necessary
to the production OF large crops Of SUI
perior quality, can we AFFORD to neg
lect this matter any longer Surely it
is time for our farmers to take this
problem in he and conserve the
millions of dollars worth of fertility
which is now worse than wasted.