Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-10-30
Save Barnyard Manure.

Assistant Secretary Vrooman of the
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture recently startled the country with
the statement that "Our billion.dollar
manure waste is the worlds greatest
economic leak"
"This Is not a mere wild guess" he
continues, "but very shrewd and con-
servative estimate based upon reliable
statistics. 1t has been found that each
horse or mule produces annually $27
worth of manure (based upon CONNER
cial fertilizer values); each head OF
cattle, $50 worth; each hog, $S worth.
Recent Investigations indicate that at
least one-balf of this great wealth OF
fertilizipg material Is lost"
Here, then, is q big problem In war
thrift for every farmer in the country.
Some of this loss Is unavoidable, but
the greater part can be saved.
On the dairy farm, the best and cheap
est way is to draw the manure directly
10 tGs field and spread 1t as fast as 1t Is
made. Il plenty OF good absorbent
bedding is used, the most valuable or
LIQUID poxtion of the manure can De
saved. Rain, after the manure Is spread
upon the land, only helps to carry the
fertilizing materials where they can do
the most good-provided, Of course,
that the land is reasonably level.
There are few farms, however, where
all the manure can be handled in this
way. Very often, heaps of manure &C.
cumulate beside the barns, from which
the most valuable constituents leach
away. OF such manure, Prof. Van
Slyke of the New York Agricultural
Experiment Station said: "Taking into
consideration both the amount and the
availability of the plant food leached
from stable manure, it is not an exagger-
alton to say that two-thirds of the plant.
food value is leached away from much
of the stable manure used on American
farms"
The best method of storage is in a
manure Dit. A pit #. deep, II IT.
long and 6 IT. wide will enable the
average farmer to properly preserve the
extra barnyard manure until be can
find time to haul 1t to the field. Such
nit NAV be readily constructed with
farm labor of cement or of hollow tile
with thin coat of cement to prevent
seepage. The cost will be trifing, In
proportion to the saving effected.
The manure pit should be 80 located
that the liquid portion OF the manure
can be drained from the stable to the
Dit. Since "about one half OF the value
of the nitrogen and two-thirds that OF
the potassium are In the urine," accord
ing to Van Sykes "Fertilisers and
Crops, {" q big saving can be effected in
this way.
Barnyard manure, considered as
plant food, is decidedly an unbalanced
ration. It is high In nitrogen (ammonia)
and low in phosphorus. II used freely.
it is apt to force rank growth Of foliage
| without . e6flonn npnding Increase 10 the
eraiu yis1 10 good plan to
kSSxi8fW16 Dbphate over the manure
81: I'd the ratef 40 to 80 pounds per
ton Of manure. This will help keep
flies from breeding In the pit. The acid
phosphate will absorb some of the
LIQUID manure. The free ammonia, in
stead of escaping, will be changed into
ammonium phosphate and ammonium
sulphate-both valuable fertilizers.
Manure 20 treated 10 not apt to heat and
will make . much better balanced fer
tniser than will clear manure.
Farm manure adds organic matter
which 10 needed by most Of our upland
soils. II also favorably Affects the
bacterial life of the soil. The benefits
| from even 4 light dressing of manure
are noticeable for several years. Indeed,
. given amount Of manure will accom-.
plish much more when spread thinly than
when concentrated on . small area.