Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-25

phosphoric acid and nitrogen that
production is to be maintained When
a ton OF hay is sold there is sold with
it about S. pounds of plant food. A
hundred bushels of corn contains
about s. pounds Of plant food. II
the farmer instead Of selling OF his
crops feeds them to live stock on the
farm. a large proportion of this fer
the business OF stock feeding is car
ried to the point where feed is pur-
chased in addition to that grown on
the farm q considerable addition may
in this way be made to the fertility
of the farm at almost a nominal cost
1t is this indirect purchase Of fertili-
gers practiced largely in Europe that
to quite a degree accounts for the
profits OF stock raising abroad OF
course these Advantages will not be
secured unless the manure produced
is carefully saved and used.
1t seems to be difficult for the av-
erage farmers to really grasp the idea
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preserved from unnecessary losses as
any other product of the farm The
large bulk of the material, the in
sidious losses, the ease with which
commercial fertilizers can be had. the
expense of properly providing for
storage and application of manure to
land. and the lack Of proper under
standing of the value of the manure
and of the large losses that prevail
under ordinary farm management
are among the reasons that have led
to this neglect.
While ii is customary to compare
farm manures with fertilizers on the
phosphoric acid and potash, this
comparison is not adequate for de-
termining the relative value. since
manures serve certain. purposes fer
tilizers cannot serve. Farm manure
is of a very complex composition II
contains more or less of all of the
elements contained in the foods Civ
1t is rich in organic matters, being
composed chiefly Of vegetables sub
stances Organic matter is the
source of humus to the soil and is OF
much value. Soils need humus and
it can only be supplied by the addi-
ton of organic matter in farm ma
nure or by blowing under green
crops. Commercial fertilizers do not
supply humus.
The urine is by far the most VAL
liable part Of the excreta Of animals
Its nitrogen is in a readily available
form. And it contains practically all
of the potash Of the digested food
1t is not sufficient to save the solid
droppings but the liquid should be
collected as we'll. The amount OF
fertiIizing constituents in a manure
stands in direct relation to those In
the food. The nitrogen in food ex-
erts a greater influence on the quail
ity of the manure than any other
constituent. 1t is the most costly
fertilizing constituent. 1t undergoes
more change in the animal economy
than the mineral constituents ana
RAPIDLY escapes from the manure IN
fermentation. Even if all the ma
nure is saved and proper absoroents
are used. barnyard manure Is stlli an
unstable product. 1t rapidly UNDER
goes changes. The deteriorations OF
manure results from fermentation
and from weathering or leaching.
Farm manure loss from destructive
fermentation may be largely preVen-
ted by the use Of proper aosoroents
and by keeping the manure moist
and compact. The loss from leachlhs
NAV be prevented by storage unoer
cover or in water tight bins.
II practicable. manure should De
removed and spread on the field at
short intervals and in that case the
loss of valuable constituents is not
very great. When the manure must
be stored for some time the dihcui-
ties of preservation are greatly IN
creased. These matters will be DIS
cussed in another letter. If the pres
emit high cost and scarcity of COM
mercial plant food should lead farm
ers of Maine and of the East to con-
serve the millions of dollars worth OF
plant food THAT are now being lost
through lack of care in the collection
and handling of farm manures IL
would greatly reduce the cost of pro-
duction and convert what in some IN
stances are farm losses into farm
profit.