The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-01-05
MANURE SHOULD
HAVE PROPER CARE
No Product Of Equal Value Is
So Much Neglected.
MANURE HAS a MONEY VALUE
Every Step Should Be Made To
Preserve All Manure Made
On Farm.

College Park, Dec. AT this sea-
son of the year the attention OF the
farmer should be called to the i'm
portance of the conservation OF
manure. In one of the cores pondence
lessons written by DR.. H. ]. Patter-
son, Director, Experiment Station, the
following advice is given concerning
the case of manure:
Even though manure is regarded
highly by all farmers in sections where
fertilizers are needed, nevertheless
there is probably no product of equal
value which is so much neglected and
so poorly cared for.
The first great source of loss is
through the incomplete absorption OF
the urine. 1t is not infrequent that no
attempt is made to save this portion
of the manure. When it is remember
ed that the urine is richer in both
nitrogen and potash than the dung
and that they are more available TO
crops in the urine than in the dung,
it should be self-evident to all that II
is highly essential that this part of
the manure be carefully saved.
The second greatest source of waste
Of manure is the loss incurred by leach
ing. If manure Is piled against the
side of the stable where the water
from the roof can drip on it, or if 1t is
piled on the hillside or other exposed
places, the rain water in teaching
through the manure washes out OF 1t
much nitrogen and potash, which is
seen in the dark brown liquid oozing
from the base Of the pile.
The third common source Of loss is
that incurred by heating and ferment-
ing. When manure is thrown in piles,
it soon heats and throws off more or
less vapor and gas. This heating is
caused by fermenting or breaking
down of the materials composing the
manure. The fermentation is caused
by the action of bacteria or low orders
of microscopic plants. The bacteria
which produces the most rapid fermen-
tation in manure need plenty of air or
oxygen Therefore, fermentation will
be more rapid in loosely piled manure.
A certain amount of moisture is neces-
sary for fermentation, but if the
manure is wet, fermentation is checked
because it lowers the temperature and
excludes part of the supply of air.
The fermentation which takes place
in manure breaks down the organic
matters and causes a loss of humus,
and also of nitrogen through the am
monium compounds which are volatil-
lied. The odor Of ammonia which IS
commonly noticeable about horse
stables and piles Of horse manure is an
evidence of the fermentation and loss
which is taking place.
Care Of Manure.
The first step to be taken in the care
of manure, so as to prevent the losses
mentioned above, is to provide suf-
ficient bedding or litter in the stable
to absorb and save all the liquor parts.
The losses due to fermentation can
be greatly checked>6y mixing horse
manure with the colder cow manure;
by making the piles compact as to ex-
clude the air; and by moistening the
pile so as to assist in excluding the air
and also to lower the temperature. The
use of chemicals or mechanical absorb
ents, such as peat, kainit, phosphate
over the manure, assists in preserving
the manure and preventing loss.
Losses from washing vi ledCuluS ny
rain may be prevented by piling under
cover or in favorable basin-like places,
or still better, by hauling it directly to
the field and spreading it as soon as it
is produced.
Application OF Manure.
In order to reduce the loss in manure
to minimum, and also to economic
in handling it, the general aim and
practice should be to haul it directly
from the stable to the field and spread
1t at once On the average farm the
following of this practice all through
the year would result in less loss than
any method that could be pursued.
The use Of rotted manure rather
than fresh manure is desirable in con-
nection with many market garden or
vegetable crops, as it gives quicker re-
suits and with root crops will give a
smoother and nicer product.
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