Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-11-24
Potash Supply Short Save Manure

Potash Supply Short Save Manure.
With the introduction of commercial
fertilizers there has been an increasingly
apparent indifference TO farm manure as
an agricultural resource. Too many Of
our farmers lose sight of the fact that
commercial fertilizers should supple
ment rather than replace the manurial
supply of the farm. According to the
Maine assessors report for 1918 there
| were in the state, In round numbers,
130, 900 horses, 100000 head Of neat
stock, 10000 swine, 10000 sheep and
!, ,0O0, 600 hens, ducks and geese. II all
! of the manure were saved from these
| animals il would amount in single year
to nearly 4,OOO, 900 tons and would carry
approximately $4,000 tons nitrogen,
1000 tons phosphoric acid and $4,000
tons potash. This plant food in the
worlds market would cost about Sl0,-
00O, 900, or sufficient to buy 800, 600 tons
of high grade commercial fertilizer. II
is doubtful if by present methods OF
management one-balf of this plant food
is actually returned to the soil.
The intelligent farmer recognizes that
when he sells meat, milk, grain, hay,
fruit, vegetables, etc., from his farm or
neglects to save and use the manure
produced, he removes from his soil
certain amount of potash, phosphoric
acid and nitrogen that must be restored
sooner or later if production is to be
maintained. II the farmer instead OF
selling of his crops feeds them TO live
stock on the farm, a large proportion Of
this fertility is retained on the farm,
and if the business of stock feeding is
carried to the point where feed is pur-
chased in addition to that grown on the
farm a considerable addition may in this
way be made TO the fertility of the farm
at almost nominal cost. It is this in
direct purchase of fertilizers practiced
largely in Europe that to quite degree
accounts for the profits of stock raising
abroad.
1t seems to be difficult for the. average
farmer to really grasp the idea that ma
uure should be as carefully preserved
from unnecessary losses as any other
product of the farm. The large bulk of
the material, the insidious losses, the
ease with which commercial fertilizers
can bs had, the expense of properly pro-
viding for storage aud application OF
manure to land, and the lack of proper
understanding of the value of the ma
nure and of the large losses that prevail
under ordinary farm management, are
among the reasons that have led TO this
neglect.
While il is customary to compare farm
manures with fertilizers on the basis OF
their, content of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash, this comparison is not
adequate for determining the relative
value, siuce manures serve certain pur-
poses fertilizers cannot serve. Farm
manure is of very complex compost
ton, Ii contains more or less OF all the
elements contained in the foods given to
the animals and in the litter. It's rich
in organic matters, being composed
chiefly Of vegetable substances. Organ
ic matter is the source of bumus to the
soil and is of much value. Soils need
humus and it can only be supplied by
the addition of organic matter In farm
manure or by plowing under green
crops. Commercial fertilizers do not
supply humus.
The urine Is BY far the most valuable
part of the excrets of animals. 1t is not
sufficient to save the solid droppngs but
the liquid should be collected as we'll.
The amount of fertilizing constituents
in a manure stands in direct relation to
those IN the food. The nitrogen in
food exerts q greater influence on the
quality of the manure than any other
constituent. 1t is the most costly fertil-
iziug constituent. II undergoes more
change in the animals stomach than the
mineral constituents and rapidly escapes
from the manure in fermentation.
IL practicable, manure should De re-
moved and spread on the field at Short
intervals and in that case the loss OF
valuable constituents Is not very great.
When the manure must be stored for
some time the difficulties OF preserva-
ton are greatly increased. II the pres
ent shortage Of potash should lead the
farmer TO conserve millions of dollars
worth Of plant food which are now be-
ing neglected through lack OF care in
the collection and handling of farm ma
nures it would largely help to offset the
losses that may come in 1915 from pot
ash shortage-C. d. Woods, Director
Maine Experim ent Station.