Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-14
HEN MANURE
How To Prevent Losses
liz It's Storage

pr0no. Ne. NOV. 13.-THe following
was issued today from Tile office of
Director Charles d. Woods Of the
Maine agricultural experiment station:
one Of the most valuabla by-prod-
ucts ~ any livestock industry is the
manure. Its proper care and use is
one of tile distinguishing features Of a
successful stock farm
Poultry manure contains more nj
troaen than other farm manure. be-
cause in birds tie excretion Of the
kidneys is voided in solid form UIric
acid. with the undigested portions of
tie food. This form OF nitrogen Is
easily available to plants Tnfortu-
nately, however it is not stable. Put
rlidctlVe processes easily change il 10
ammonia compounds. and unless spec
ia! care IS taken Of the droppings one
third To one-half Of the nitrogen passes
off as ammonia gas
The yearly droppings from a hen
while on the perches will weigh about
~ pounds. While these will vary in
composition with, the kind of feed thar
! IS used, in general the 80 pounds Will
carry about eight pounds Of nitro
gen. - pounds of phosphori acid and
20 pounds Of potash. The phosphorjc
/ acid and potash will not waste if the
manure is kept dry but the losses of
nitrogen in unprotected and untreate,I
hen manure is large and will vary
from one-ha1f to three-Quarters of the
total nitrogen
Fnteen years ago the Maine Agricul-
turai Experiment Station made Sc
rles Of trials in which different pre-
sentative materials We're added IL
fresh hen manure. The following is a
summary Of the results
Zen left untreated considerable
more than half of the nitrogen was
lost. When dry absorbents were used
the loss was equally large. When
ashes or lime We're added the loss was
greatly increased. Addition Of two
parts by weight Of plaster prevented
az Ioss OF nitrogen. The addition of
one part by weight Of acid phosphate
Or of kainit TO three parts of amnure
also prevented loss. The addition of
Dry absorbentS with these materials
did not reduce their preservatjye a.
tlon and made the manure of such con-
slstencE that il could be readily an.
piled 10 land.
because u these trials the Station
recommended storing the droppinrs n
4 covered shelter and the CaiJy addi-
ton Of chemicals to the droppinas in
the following proportions To each n
POUNDS Of hen droppings, add 10
pounds OF dry saWdust. dry neat or
dry loan. 70 pounds Of acid phosphate
ana eight pounds Of kairit. This
makes balanced fertilizer. But dur-
ing the war II will be impossible ~
obtain kainit and il will have 10 ba
omitted from the formula Tie acid
phosphate in the above proportion win
prevent loss Of nitrogen. BY the use
Of wood ashes applied to the land in
the spring the needed potash would
be added. But the ashes must at no
time be directly mixed with the hen
droppings
The absorbent and the chemicals
should he kept conveniently at hand
and each day when The droppings are
collected they should he treated n
may ne best to weigh the ingredients
few times after which il viii be pos
sible 70 make sufficiently close esti-
mates by measure Droppings treat
ed in this way viii not be in good
enough mechanical condition TO he
used in planter or drill hut they
ran be evenly distributed with 4
manure spreader They should be used
al the rate Of about two tons per acre.
IL is asserted by some music histo-
Rams that the greatest orchestra the
world has ever known was supported
by solomon in his temple. According
to Josephus, there were 10000 harps
a nd fr of