Middletown transcript., 1916-10-21
WASTING THE FARM MANURE


The farmer who sells 1000 pounds
~ red clover hay worth from 81 to
a7, sells from his farm as much soil
Fertility as he would il The sold a 1000
pound steer or two fat hogs weighing
geo pounds apiece; and the hogs or the
steer would bring him from SIS to
400. In 30 bushels Of corn there Is
about SIS worth Of soil fertility; in
200 pounds Of butter about 4 cents
worth Of fertility; or In other words
arom 20 to 85 per cent Of the fertilizing
Slements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash taken from the soil by
crops are returned to the soil il the
crops are fed to animals and the ma
1ure put back on the land, 1t Is well
20 remember that manure represents
Fertility which has been taken from the
sell by crops and must be returned to
q if produchveness is to be maintained.
II not only adds to the store Of plant
food in the soil by returning large
per cent of the nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash removed by crops, but it
also renders the native plant food of
Hhe soil more available. It improves
as physical condition, makes it warm
and enables it to receive and retain
more moisture; lets air into the soil,
aids in the development Of bacteria
and helps to prevent washing.
No Substitute Found.
No substitute at present known is
capable Of completely filing the place
Of farm manure. Notwithstanding its
great value, there is probably no mate
EiaI on the farm in which so great and
needless waste occurs. It is common
Gight in almost any section to see
st:.AEcs and feed lots situated upon the
bank Of a stream or ditch where the
most valuable portion Of the manure
will pass into the stream.
There is no soil so fertile that its
producing power cannot be eventually
exhausted by continued cropping which
aakes away fertility and returns moth
0ng. We must not forget that the ma
nure crop does not belong to the farm
O., but to the soil, and must be re-
turned to the soil.
Manures are carelessly thrown out
where they are washed into the
streams or the fine particles leached
away or burned by self-generated heat
and robbed of large portion Of their
AitrOgen.
Can you expect manures to be wol th
Ruch after they have been washed by
Rains, dried by winds, burned by COM
Austion. rooted over by hogs and
aramped into the ground by stock?
Interesting Experiment.
A very interesting experiment was
conducted at Cornell university to
show the effect of weathering and
asacEing upon the value of manure.
-Four thousand pounds Of manure
Rrom the horse stable composed of g.
SO Of excrement and 6S1 pounds of
straw were placed out Of doors in a
pile and left exposed for six months.
GApril % to September 22.) At the
end of this period out Of 4,OO0 pounds
enly 1,T30 pounds remained loss of
81 per cent of the gross weight and 65
per cent loss In fertilizing value.
During the same period 10000
pounds of manure from the cow stables
we're exposed for six months. The COW
MlanIIre showed loss of 5,125 pounds,
0r 10 per cent Of the gross weight and
g per cent of its value. A 1.OOO-pound
Aorse will produce about nine tons of
manure a year (without litter) valued
n plant food at about SIS.
A I,000-pound dairy cowwin produce
u tons Of manure a year worth ap-
Bronmately 500
One hundred dairy cows weighing
1900 pounds each will produce in one
year about 100000 pounds of manure
worth over $1,000.
Don't you think that $1,000 is worth
Booking after? The Ohio experiment
station found that 4S grade pOlled An
gus steer calves weighing on an aver
age 49S pounds each at the time they
we're stabbed, produced in 13 months
s9s504 pounds Of manure. nearly $50
tons including bedding. This amount
Of manure is worth in plant food eie-
ment nearly $T00.
Value Of Stable Manure.
The money value Of the stable ma
anre produced on Wisconsin farms for
example amounts to millions each year.
The fertilizer ingredients contained in
Bhe manure produced in one year by
che different classes Of farm animals
are Approximately the following
amounts per head-dairy cows $50.
sther cattle and horses SIS. sheep 50
and swine 81. The total value Of the