The Bulletin. 73 



With average barnyard manure the above compost would contain : 

 phosphoric acid, 1.7 per cent; potash, .7 per cent, and ammonia, .6 per 

 cent. One ton of this compost is worth between 500 and 600 pounds of 

 the average fertilizer containing 8 per cent of available phosphoric acid, 

 2 per cent of potash and 2 per cent of ammonia. It should be applied 

 at the rate of 600 to 1,600 pounds per acre in the drill, 1,400 pounds 

 of the compost being about equal to an application of 400 pounds of the 

 8-2-2 fertilizer. 



The compost may be made under shelter or out of doors. In either 

 case select a place where the soil is compact, and arrange it so that 

 the water that may run through the heap will not drain from it.^ Put 

 down the materials in alternate layers — first, a layer 3 to 6 inches 

 thick, according to the size of the compost to be made, of the manure, 

 woods mould or rich dirt, then sprinkle upon this layers of acid phos- 

 phate and kainit, and continue in this way to put down alternate layers 

 of the materials till the compost is complete. If dry, the manure, 

 mould, etc., should be moistened by sprinkling with water, and the heap 

 should be brought to a conical or wedge shape, covered with dirt, pref- 

 erably rich dirt, and thoroughly compacted to prevent undue entrance 

 of air, which brings about heating and injurious fermentation of the 

 heap. The compost must be watched, and if it becomes hot a hole should 

 be made in the side and towards the top and water poured in to cool it. 

 Heating is likely to occur if made under shelter, while if made out of 

 doors in the winter and early spring the rains are apt to be sufficient 

 to keep it moist, but here there is danger of loss, especially of the very 

 soluble potash and phosphoric acid, from leaching, and the heaps made 

 out of doors need careful watching to see that they do not get too hot 

 just after making and between rains, and more especially to see that 

 they are thoroughly covered with dirt and compacted, so as to make 

 the water run mostly off the sides instead of through the heap and drain- 

 ing off with the most valuable part of the manure. The heap should 

 remain 40 to 60 days, and may stay longer. Before using, it should be 

 thoroughly cut up and mixed by means of hoes and shovels. If the 

 manure, woods mould and dirt are reasonably free from litter and trash, 

 the mixture may be put through a sand screen and be in condition to 

 drill as other fertilizers are. This will require care in selecting the 

 manure, mould and dirt. 



Unquestionably, there is great advantage, if it is not, indeed, an abso- 

 lute necessity, to save scrupulously all the manure and other waste 

 material on and around the farm to assist in maintaining or increasing 

 its productiveness. One way to do this is to use the compost in some 

 way similar to that suggested in the foregoing. Another^ and perhaps 

 somewhat cheaper way, unless the compost is made at a time when the 

 farm labor is not profitably occupied with other work, is to apply the 

 manure and woods mould, etc., broadcast where there are large quan- 

 tities of them, or in the drill when the amounts are limited and less 

 than 1,500 to 2,000 pounds to the acre, and drill the acid phosphate 

 and kainit or other materials on them. This saves the cost of mixing. 

 Each plan has its advantages, and each farmer can decide for himself 

 which best suits his individual case and which will enable him to save 

 to best advantage these exceedingly important and valuable fertilizer 



