Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-06-10

the value of manure as a fertilizer.
AS shown in the tabulation the aver
age acreage for nine years was Al. Z
bushels for the MANFRED land, and
24.5 bushels for the unmanured
ground, the difference in favor of
the former being 1872 bushels.
The lesson taught by the result
of this experiment is that the farm
er may reasonably expect to in
crease the yield of his land by from
fifteen to seventeen bushels per acre,
each year, if he manurs the land
properly.
In our experiment plots at the
station, two plots of ground closely
ing and as closely alike as
could be found on the farm were
set aside for seeding. The yields for
nine years compared as shown above
Records of the year 1899 when
neither plot was MANFRED show them
to be practically equal in yielding
power before the experiment be-
gan. An examination of the table
shows that the MANFRED plot yielded
better than ,ne unmanured in every
case, the difference in many cases
being quite large.
a very valuable fact that is
brought to light is that the inability
to grow a profitable crop of wheat
every year is rather a question of
soil conditions than of railfall. The
average yield of the MANFRED plot
for the first four years of the expert
ments was 4l.57 bushels per acre,
and for the last four years that the
yield of grain was determined, was
4l.S5 bushels per acre, while for the
last four years it dropped to 1875
bushels per acre, showing a very
marked deterioration in yielding
power.
The contrast between the yielding
power of the MANFRED and un-
MANFRED plots after the nine years of
trial appears much more striking in
this field than from the tables. Not
only did the wheat grow more Wig
orously on the MANFRED plot, but it
was at least six weeks earlier this
season than on the unmanured land,
although both plots were seeded the
same day.
Another study has been made of
the effect of applying manure to the
spring seeding, by spreading the fer
tilizer on the land in the spring,
and blowing it under just before
seeding. BY a comparison of the man
ured and unmanured spring seeding,
it is found that the yield is best on
the MANFRED plot for five seasons,
and best on the unmanured plot for
three seasons. The three latter sea-
sons were dry ones, and it seemed
that when the loose manure was
ploWed under in the spring, it hasten
ed the drying out of the soil. This
condition is quite generally claim
ed against the use of barnyard man
ure by farmers of the Inland Empire
Several other trials have been made
to determine the effect of manure an
piled in different ways, and at diff
ferent times, and in every instance
except the three mentioned, the re-
suits have been decidedly beneficial.
All our trials seem to point to the
conclusion that moderate quantity
of manure applied to our wheat land
detrimental only when it is
applied loose and strawy, in the
spring, and plowed under, followed
Immediately by seeding without
working the soil down firmly onto
the manure. If the latter process is
carried out, the manure will at once
begin to rot, instead of dying out.
When the soil is not worked down
trmly upon the manure. or beaten
down by rains, as is the case when
ploWed under in the fall, the loose
manure acts as a straw ventilator in
potato pit
When manure will produce such
beneficial results as shown in our
experiments, it is almost a crime
against our commonwealth to dump
such quantities into gulleys and
creeks as is done in the Palouse
country Allowing it to lie under the
caves and leach away the soluble
fertility for year before hauling
out onto the field is nearly as bad.
Every wheat farmer in the Inland
Empire should save the manure
carefully, and put it onto the field
as rapidly as possible. 1t should be
spread thinly over as large an area
as possible, and as rapidly as DOS
sible
with proper attention given to
maintaining the fertility of our soil.