Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-09-30
Value of Farm Manure.
AN ASSET THAT SHOULD BE USED IN
MOST EFFICIENT WAY.


much indifference to It as an agricultural
resource. Too many Of our farmers lose
sight of the fact that for the most part
commercial fertilizers should not be the
sheet anchor In Maine farming. They
should be used to supplement and not to
replace the manurial supply of the farm.
Nowhere in the world has there been
developed long time successful agricul-
ture that is not based upon some form
of animal husbandry and the conserva.
tion of manure. Even the older portions
of Aroostook CONTEMPORARY the
largest users of commercial fertilizer per
acre In the world-are coming to find
that there are limitations to the game az
they have been playing It. During the
third of century of its existence the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
has by experiment, Investigation and
observation been gathering data on the
value of farm manure and it's relation to
practical farming in this state. 1t Is the
purpose OF this article to call attention
to the vaiue of farm manure produced 10
Maine. Later letters In this series will
try to point out ways to economically
handle this bulky source OF plant food.
In round numbers there are in the
state 10000 horses; 250.000 head OF
neat stock; 10000 swine; 10000 sheep
and 1000, 900 hens, ducks and geese. II
all of the manure was saved from these
animals it would amount in single year
to nearly 1900, 900 tons and would carry
$4,000 tons of nitrogen,
IL, 900 tons of phosphoric acid and 1900
tons of potash. At before the war prices
this plant food was worth in the worlds
$40, ,000, 900 or sufficient to pur-
chase at that time about 800 900 tons OF
high grade commercial fertilizer. With
the advance in cost of commercial fertil-
izers farm manure has corresponding
increased value. 1t Is doubtful If by
present methods one-half of this plant
food is saved and returned to the soil.
The intelligent farmer recognizes that
when he sells meat, milk, grain, hay,
fruit, vegetables, ETC., from his farm or
neglects to save and use the manure pro-
duced, he removes from his soil GER
tain amount of potash, phosphoric acid
and nitrogen that must be restored soon-
or or later IL production is 10 be main
tanned. When ton of hay Is sold there
is sold with 1t about 53 pounds of plant
food. A hundred bushels of corn con-
tains about IS pounds of plant food. II
the farmer instead of selling of his crops
feeds them to live stock on the farm, q
large proportion of this fertility Is re-
tanned on the farm, and IL the business
of stock feeding is carried to the point
where feed is purchased In addition to
that grown on the farm q oOE,iderable
addition may in this way be made to the
fertility of the farm at almost nominal
cost. 1t is this Indirect purchase OF
fertilizers practiced largely in Europe
that to quite degree accounts for the
profits of stock raising abroad. OF
course these advantages will not be
secured unless the manure produced is
saved and used.
1t seems to be difficult for the average
farmers to really grasp the idea that
manure should be as carefully preserved
from unnecessary losses as any other
product of the farm. The large bulk OF
the material, the insidious losses, the
ease with which commercial fertilizers
can be had, the expense OF properly pro-
viding for storage and application of
manure to land, and the lack Of proper
understanding 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 IL is customary to compare farm
manures with fertilizers on the basis OF
their content of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash, this comparison is not
adequate for determining the relative
value, since manures serve certain pur-
poses fertilizers cannot serve. Farm
M anure is of q very complex compost
ton. It contains more or less OF all OF
the elements contained In the foods
given to the animals and In the litter.
1t is rich in organic matters, being COM
posed chiefly of vegetable substances.
Organic matter is the source of humus
to the soil and Ia of much value. Soils
need humus aud 1t can only be supplied
BY the addition Of organic matter In
farm manure or by plowing under green
crops. Commercial fertilizers do not
supply humus.
The urine is far the most valuable part
of the excreta of animals. It's nitrogen
10 In q readily available form. And 1t
contains practically all of the potash OF
the ingested food. It Is not sufficient to
save the solid droppings but the liquid
should be collected as we'll. The amount
OF fertilizing constituents In manure
stands In direct relation to those In the
food. The nitrogen In food exerts
greater Influence on the quality of the
manure than any other constituent. 1t
Ia the most costly fertilizing constituent.
1t undergoes more change In the animal
economy than the mineral constituents
and rapidly escapes from the manure In
fermentation. Even II all the manure is
saved and proper abrorbents are used,
BARNARD manure is still an unstable
product. It rapidly undergoes changes.
The deterioration of manure results
from fermentation, and from weathering
or teaching. Farm manure loss from
destructive fermentation may be largely
prevented by the use of proper absorb
epts and by keeping the manure moist
and compact. The loss from teaching
may be prevented by storage under cover
or in water tight bins.
n practicable, manure should be re-
moved and spread on the field at short
intervals and In that case the loss Of val.
liable constituents 10 not very great.
When the manure must be stored for
some time- the difficulties Of Preservation
are greatly increased. These matters
will Be discussed in another letter. II
the present high cost and scarcity OF
commercial plant food should lead farm
ers Of Maine and OF the East to conserve
the millions OF dollars worth of plant
food that are now being lost through
lack OF care In the collection and hand
ling of farm manures 1t would greatly
reduce the cost OF production and con-
vert what in some instances are farm
losses into farm proflt.-Chas. D. Woods,