The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-10-28
WASTING THE FARM MANURE

The farmer who sells 1000 pounds
OF red clover hay worth from 81 to
81, sells from his farm as much soil
fertility as he would if he sold a 600
pound steer or two fat hogs weighing
500 pounds apiece; and the hogs or the
steer would bring him from S75 to
500. In so bushels of corn there is
about SIS worth of soil fertility; in
100 pounds of butter about 4 cents
worth Of fertility; or in other words
from 20 to 50 per cent of the fertilizing
elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash taken from the soil by
crops are returned to the soil if the
crops are fed to animals and the ma
nure put back on the land. 1t is well
to remember that manure represents
fertility which has been taken from the
soil by crops and must be returned to
it if prOductiveness is to be maintained
1t not only adds to the store of plant
food in the soil by returning a large
per cent OF the nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash removed by crops, but il
also renders the native plant food OF
the soil more available. 1t improves
its 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 filling the place
of farm manure. Notwithstanding its
great value, there is probably no mate
rial on the farm in which so great and
needless waste occurs. It is a common
sight in almost any section to see
stables 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
takes away fertility and returns 10th
ing. We must not forget that the ma
nure crop does not belong to the farm
er, 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 a large portion of their
nitrogen.
Can you expect manures to be worth
much after they have been washed by
rains, dried by winds, burned by com
bustiOn, rooted over by hogs and
uamped into the ground by stock?
Interesting Experiment
A very interesting experiment was
conducted at Cornell university to
show the effect OF weathering and
teaching upon the value of manure.
Four thousand pounds OF manure
from the horse stable composed Of g.
80 OF excrement and 6S1 pounds Of
straw were placed out of doors in a
pile and left exposed for six months.
april % to September 22.) At the
end Of this period out Of 1000 pounds
only 1,730 pounds remained-a loss OF
81 per cent of the gross weight and 60
per cent loss in fertilizing value.
During the same period 10000
pounds of manure from the COW stables
were exposed for six months. The COW
manure showed a loss of 5,125 pounds,
or 40 per cent OF the gross weight and
81 per cent OF its value. A 1 ,OOO-pound
horse will produce about nine tons Of
manure year without Htter) valued
in plant food at about SIS.
A !, 000-pound dairy cow will produce
II tons OF manure a year worth ap-
proximately $50.
One hundred dairy cows weighing
1000 pounds each viii produce in one
year about 100000 pounds of manure
worth over $1,000.
Don't you think that $1,000 is worth
looking after7 The Ohio experiment
station found that 4S grade polled An |
gus steer calves weighing on an aver
age 448 pounds each at the time they
were stabbed, produced in 13 months !
69o,5O4 pounds of manure, nearly $50
tons including bedding. This amount
Of manure is worth in plant food ele-
ment nearly 500.
Value OF Stable Manure.
The money value OF the stable ma |
nure produced on Wisconsin farms for |
example amounts to millions each year.
The fertilizer ingredients contained in |
the manure produced in one year by |
the different classes Of farm animals |
are approximately the following /
amounts per head-dairy cows $50. /
other cattle and horses SIS, sheep 50 /
and swine s.. The total value Of the
Size Of Eggs ImnaterIaI.
q 11ney