The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-15
VALUE OF MANURE,
Enormous Loss of Fcrtilizinr Mntcr.
ials May bc Prccvntcd Through
Careful Handling.

The high prices of potash and acid
phosphate at this time are causing
much concern among farmers who
depend upon commercial fertilizers
to supply these constituents for the
successful production Of their crops.
If the farmers of this country had
always fully appreciated the true VAL
ue of farm manure, and used it on
their land, the present situation would
be much less acute. The annual loss
OF fertilizing materials is enormous IN
this country through careless handling
of manure. This loss can be easily
prevented in a large measure by
proper methods of handling. While
many farmers are getting the most
from the manure produced on their
farms. yet many could well exempnfy
the European farmer in this matter.
Wi,o saves carefully and utilizes every
pound Of manure available.
The farmer who feeds as much live
stock as possible may figure that he
is receiving a double remuneration
from his crops: First, from the mar
keting Of feeds through live stock:
and, second, from the fertilizing sub
stances which are left in the ma
nure. Practically all of the nitrogen,
nhosnbOrus opd p0to,b ,,,b;oh a., a..
the feeds is recovered in the manure
from live stock. All landowners,
farmers. and tillers Of the soil should
always be keenly conscious of this
fact, and employ methods of man.
agement accordingly.
& 1t is well known fact that the ami.
NAL uses the nitrogen, PHOSPHORUS
potassium, and other elements OF the
feedstuffs to build up the body. carry
on the work of the body, and to pro.
duce milk, work, wool. etc. At the
same time we must remember that
all of these processes involve the
building up and breaking down Of
body cells, and the component part;
OF these broken-down cells arc thrown
off as waste matter.
In This waste matter we have the
same elements as were in the feed
stuffs consumed. Except in case of
growing animals. whose bodies are in
creasing In size, practically the same
amount Of nitrogen. phosphorus. and
potassium are. voided in the manure
as were contained in the feeds eaten:.
The exact percentages of these sub
stances voided by live stock varies
within wide limits, depending largely
upon the age and kind Of ANIMAL
amount of feed eoten, work which the
animal Is doing, and various other.
factors. A young and growing animal
retains a largo part of'these elemeilys
In the growing tissues of the body.,A
dairy COW uacs u portion Of them in
the production Of milk. A hard
working horse or a mature fattening
animal voids from 80 to 100 per cent.
of them. 1t Is then evident that a
large percentage of the elements of
plant food removed from the soil hy
growing crops remains on the farm
where these crops are fed, and that
the manurial value of feeds is in di-
rect proportion to their composition.
Under practical methods of feeding
live stock all of the fertilizing sub
stances can not be returned through
manure to the SOIL Allowances must
be made for small waste in feeding
operations, the retention of some nj
trogen phosphorous, and potassium in
the animals body, and reasonab bic
amount Of loss of these elements from
the manure before it reaches the
fields. With such losses in view it is
safe to say that when the manure is
carefully handled rs per cent Of the
PHOSPHORUS and potassium and 20
per cent. OF the nitrogen originally
ia SoOhS III tAC ACSuS CdIl Dc IcluTIl0O
to the soil.
From these figures we can easily
compute the actual value Of the ma
nure from given amount Of a feed
We will base our values upon normal
prices Of fertilizing materials, as fol-
lows:
Cents
Nitrogen. per pound :. :. :. :. 20
Phosphoric acid, per pound. :. a
Potash, per pound. :. :. :. .. s
For example, let us say / ton each
of corn. cottonseed meal, and corn
stover has been fed to fattening steers.
From calculations we find the value
of the manure from these feeds to