SOIL SESSION. 115 



of nitrogen as that found in 480 pounds of nitrate of soda, but consid- 

 erably less potassium than would be carried in 260 pounds of muriate of 

 potash. It appears, therefore, that these constituents of fertility are at 

 least as effective in fresh stable manure, from well fed cattle, as in the 

 two chemicals used in these experiments, and which are among the most 

 effective, and at the same time the cheapest of commercial carriers of 

 nitrogen and potash, respectively, provided the manure be re-enforced 

 with a supply of readily available phosphorus. 



The cost of nitrate of soda and muriate of potash at retail, freight 

 paid to Ohio, is about 21-2 cents per pound, so that the 8 tons of manure 

 has replaced chemicals costing $18.50. 



It is true that it costs more to apply stable manure than commercial 

 fertilizers, but after making full allowance on this point we still have 

 a value of at least $2.00 per ton for the manure, as compared with com- 

 mercial fertilizers of equal efficiency in crop production. 



THE PRODUCTION OF MANURE. 



In feeding experiments at the Ohio station, a careful record has- 

 been kept of feed and bedding consumed, of increase in live weight and 

 of manure produced. These experiments have shown that, under average- 

 conditions, the increase in live weight should pay for the feed consumed:: 

 and labor of feeding, leaving the manure as clear gain. The production« 

 of manure has been 35 to 42 pounds per day for a 1000- pound steer,, 

 exclusive of bedding, and the bedding has averaged 7 to 7 1-2 pounds per 

 day. Under average conditions it is safe to estimate the manure pro- 

 duction of a looo-pound steer at not less than 40 pounds per day, in- 

 clusive of bedding, or 3 1-2 tons for a feeding period of 6 months. The 

 manure from two steers, therefore, would give an application of 7 tons- 

 to an acre of land. 



In the experiments last described, manure has been used at the- 

 rate of 8 tons per acre, and it is applied once in 3 years. Untreated 

 yard manure has also been used on two plots in the 5-year rotation first 

 described, being applied to the corn and wheat crops, at the rate of 8- 

 tons and 4 tons per acre. Taking the results from the last 7 years and' 

 using the same valuations that have been used in other cases, the larger 

 application has produced a total increase to the value of $34.42 for each 

 rotation, or $2.15 per ton of manure — a value slightly below that found 

 from the same kind of manure in the 3-year rotation — while the smaller 

 application has given a total increase worth $22.19, o^ %'^-77 P^^ ton of: 



