The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-01-13


plant food he cannot get it in as good
form, nor do the commercial fertilizers
have as great an effect. They do not add
vegetable matter, do not start soil fer
mentation, and do not correct mechanical
defects of the SOIL A ton of well-pre-
served manure from a well-fed horse con-
tains about o.S pounds of nitrogen, 81
pounds of phosphate acid, and go pounds
of potash-plant food that would cost
Sails bought as commercial fertilizer. This
is on basis of IS cents pound for nj
trogen, Ala cents for phosphoric acid,
and cents for potash. The values of
fertilizers and manure here given are bas-
ed on the prices of cotton-seed meal at
$2s. ton, and phosphate IS per cent
purity at SIS, and kainit at Sra. Of
course when these articles cost more, nj
trogen, phosphoric acid, and potash should
be rated higher and stable manure would
be worth more.
A horse weighing 1000 pounds will pro-
duce about II tons of manure in a year,
and this manure is consequently worth
IS cents a day, or about $z7 a year.
The manure from the average COW is
worth about IL cents a day, or $2s. lao
per year. These values are based on the
presumption that the animals are we'll
fed. Where the common manure heap
is used for all animals and for farm re-
fuse, while its composition is Necessarily
variable, it can safely be assumed that
ton of it will contain IL pounds of nitro
gen, pounds of phosporic acid, and 6
pounds of potash. The plant fertilizers
in a ton of manure are worth commercially
from 81 to $2.2s. These values do not
take into consideration the indirect bene-
fits to the soil. While the actual plant
food contained in ton of barnyard ma
nure is worth at least S., it is safe to
say that the farmer will derive nearer
So worth of good from it. :.
When left in loose heaps under cover,
it has been found that manure loses
IA per cent of its nitrogen. When these
heaps are not covered this loss amounts
to 80 per cent, and when exposed in
thin layers, as is the case when it is left
on the barn lot, this sloss increases to
81 percent Putting it differently, the
same manure that when properly cared
for is worth $2.IS a ton, if allowed to re-
main in loose heaps for twelve months
is worth only S.. When these heaps are
uncovered the value falls to $I.7o, and
the unprotected thin layer at the end
of that time is worth only $1.ro This
is not the extent of the loss, for that por-
ton of the fertilizer ingredients that is
left is the least valuable, and what we
have it really only the refuse of the for
morly valuable manure This tremendous
loss from improper handling easily ex-
plains why our farmers find it necessary
to use such large quantities of manure to
derive much benefit from it. 1t will be
observed that even when the manure is
stored in a shed there is no loss. BY
covering tie manure heap with certain
substances it is found that not only can
this loss be prevented, but that the stock
of manure can be very greatly increased.
A ton of ordinary loan will absorb 13
pounds of nitrogen, and if placed over
the, manure heap will prevent all loss of
that substance Sawdust will absorb 8
pounds per ton. Wheat straw will absorb
nearly pounds of the nitrogen The
necessity for absorbents brings us to the
consideration of the compost heap.