1/8 AGRICUI^TURE OF MAINE. 



Too much emphasis cannot be laid on saving the Hquid 

 portion of the excrement. This hquid portion contains about 

 80 per cent of all the nitrogen and about 66 2-3 per cent of all 

 the potash contained in the manure. Further than this, these 

 elements are already in a soluble form and are the more readily 

 lost. If this escapes through leaky stable floors, or by 

 improper storing, very little is left beside the strawy matter and 

 some phosphoric acid. It then is clear that a tight stable floor 

 is the first requisite to prevent this waste, and secondly some 

 absorbent, it matters not what, should be kept on this floor to 

 at once take up the liquid portion before it is lost. Straw is 

 of course best, since it aids materially in improving the physical 

 condition when applied to the land, and at the same time has 

 some fertilizing va-ue, but in the absence of straw use leaves, 

 sawdust or shavings rather than lose the most valuable portion 

 of the excrement. While sawdust probably has no actual bene- 

 fit on the land, it at the same time, in the quantities generally 

 used, does no particular harm, and should be used every time in 

 preference to nothing as an absorbent. 



A few years ago the matter of chemical absorbents was 

 freely discussed. We are not hearing so much about them at 

 the present time, but experiments have shown that gypsum 

 (land plaster), — never ordinary lime — kainit, or other potash 

 fertilizers, and acid phosphate, all help keep the stable sweet, 

 and when sprinkled in the tie-up each day, or over the manure 

 pile, help prevent fermentation and of course add that much to 

 the value of the manure, provided it is properly cared for in 

 the pile. 



The manure cellar, so commonly used in this state, has served 

 its purpose well so far as preserving the manure is concerned 

 but now since the question of sanitary milk and bacteria are 

 receiving so much attention it is doubtful whether this is the 

 best means of keeping the manure or not. The manure cellar 

 is expensive to build and try as hard as we will there are odors 

 always finding their way into the stable. The cheapest and 

 most approved plan now is to have a cheap shed attached, or 

 detached, to the tie-up into which the manure is wheeled or 

 carted and stored. The more flat and compact the pile is kept 

 the less fermentation there will be. When the odor of ammonia 

 is noticeable you may know that there is considerable nitrogen 



