The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-07-13
ASHES AND HEN MANURE.
9Thess Should esT Mixed Immediately
eofore Ap pplioation u Made.

Thsss Should 6e Mixed Immediately
Before Application u Made.
Prepared by Ohio experiment ;station.l
No question comes to the Ohio expert
ment station more frequently than how
to use ashes and hen manure to the
best advantage in fertilizing the SOIL
Unleached hardwood ashes should
contain about 5 or 9 per cent Of potash,
with / per cent Of phosphoric acid. But
potash seldom produces its full effect
unless used IN connection with more
phosphorus than Is contained In ashes,
and therefore ashes should be mixed
with some such carrier Of phosphorus
as acid phosphate or steamed bonemeal.
Two hundred and fifty pounds Of un-
leached ashes and $50 pounds Of 16 per
cent acid phosphate would carry as
many pounds Of sphosphoric acid and
potash as would be found in 300 pounds
Of 1O-4 fertilizer.
Ashes are about one-third lime, and
the addition Of lime to acid phosphate
causes the reversion of part of the
phosphorus from the water soluble to
the citrate soluble form, but this is no
longer considered q serious matter.
There is usually sufficient lime in the
soil to cause this reversion, and If there
is not there should be; because this
quantity of lime Is essential to full
crop production. For example, at the
Ohio experiment station 800 pounds of
acid phosphate has increased the value
of crops by $15.2O on unlimed land and
by $24.2O on lined land over and above
the cost of the acid phosphate and the
lime, as ten year average.
A ton OF fresh hen manure should
contain about twenty-five pounds Of
nitrogen, twenty pounds Of phosphoric
acid and ten pounds Of potash as a gen.
eral average. When air dry, hen ma
nure should contain about 40 pounds of
nitrogen, forty pounds of phosphoric
acid and twenty pounds Of potash to
the ton. Fresh manure from fattening
cattle should contain fifteen pounds of
nitrogen, eight pounds Of phosphoric
acid and ten pounds of potash per ton,
while as general average mixed barn
yard manure, after, exposure to the
weather in open yards, is-estimated to
contain ten pounds nitrogen, six pounds
phosphoric acid and ten pounds potash
to the ton. A ton Of dry hen manure is
therefore worth approximately as much
as four tons: Of average yard manure,
At the experiment station and as a
sixteen year average, eight tons of
fresh cattle manure have produced in
crease of crop. to :. the value Of $26,
the manure being applied to corn in a
three year rotation of corn, wheat and
clover. When the same quantity of
manure has been REINFORCED with 800
pounds Of acid phosphate forty pounds
per ton Of manure the net value of
increase, after deducting the cost of
the phosphate, has been $50. H. III
Acid phosphate sprinkled over the
dropping boards VIII reduce the loss
| Of ammonia and increase the effective
ness Of the manure. ,@;<2@ -. r. :. 5...ss-. :..s-
A mixture of 250 pounds dry hen
manure, $50 pounds acid phosphate
and 100 pounds unleached hardwood
ashes will contain practically the same
quantities Of ammonia, phosphoric
acid and potash as would be carried In
300 pounds OF a 2-1D-2 fertilizer. S.
BY using sand sieve and wooden
pestle to pulverize. the manure such q
mixture may be applied with the ordi.
nary fertilizer drill, and ii the ashes
are not added Until within few days
Of the application there. will be no ap,
! preciable loss Of ammonia. :: =
Coal ashes have practically no ferh
lizing value, but may sometimes be
used with advantage in loosening q
compact clay soil, or as a mulch
around small fruits In the garden. .-@