122 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



producing three-seeded fruits, while 

 the fruits of the latter contain one 

 seed only. W. H. TAPLIN. 



LIQUID MANURES. 



Would you give me through the col- 

 umns of The Review some idea how 

 to construct a manure tanii to hold 

 say, 500 gallons? We have a splendid 

 force of water and propose by shut- 

 ting off the city water with an ar- 

 rangement of valves to utilize the 

 same pipes for liquid manure distribu- 

 tion. Also some idea as to whether 

 animal manure or chemical fertilizers 

 should he used, and the proportions. 

 J. H. H. 



To supply the nourishing elements 

 in liquid form for plants during their 

 growth, if done judiciously, is to my 

 experience the most efficient and fa- 

 cilitating method to further their 



unbalanced condition of the required 

 elements, constituting plant food may 

 render it ineffective, when not inju- 

 rious, for we must not forget that we 

 give it in water and any ingredient in 

 a soluble condition will be absorbed. 

 On the other hand, if judiciously pre- 

 pared and applied, it is the best meth- 

 od in which to give nourishment, to 

 deal out the food in rations as re- 

 quired, and shows immediate effect. 

 We infer from this that the material 

 should be carefully selected and well 

 decomposed so it is ready food, and 

 given in a mild form, but given often. 

 In fact, if a sufficient portion could be 

 given with each watering the best re- 

 sults would be obtained. If we have 

 any knowledge of what parts our soil 

 is most deticient, this can be supplied 

 in larger quantity, and the use of the 

 liquid made more effective. Some ad- 

 vocate changing the diet; that is, to 

 give at one time a larger proportion 



Geo. Wittbold's New Store, Chicago. 



growth. Like every other way in which 

 to supply food, it can be overdone, 

 given too much or too strong for the 

 plants to digest, and the result is often 

 injurious when not destructive. This 

 is accomplished so much easier in the 

 liquid form than when supplied in the 

 soil or given in the form of a mulch, 

 and can be supplied in quantities as 

 required by the plants from time to 

 time. 



The water absorbed by the roots 

 carries the nourishing elements into 

 the plants for assimilating, so if the 

 liquid contains too much of these ele- 

 ments and the plant is in a condition 

 to absorb it too rapidly more food is 

 taken up than can readily be digested. 

 Again the liquid may be in a raw con- 

 dition, not fully decomposed, and a 

 thirsty plant will take it indiscrimi- 

 nately, taking up food which is uncon- 

 genial, Indigestible and injurious. Fur- 

 ther, it may contain much more of one 

 ingredient than is required, and this 



of ammonia and the next time more 

 potash, but to my experience it is just 

 as well, if not better, to mix all to- 

 gether like these elements are present 

 in what we call a rich soil. 



Now to answer the inquiry more 

 specifically, I will describe the con- 

 struction of our manure tank and its 

 workings. I have given the matter 

 quite a good deal of thought, and the 

 way our tank is now constructed has 

 proved very satisfactory. As to the 

 capacity, a tank of this kind can be 

 built of any dimensions from a hun- 

 dred gallons capacity to several thou- 

 sands. In the first place, the location 

 should be where the temperature will 

 not fall below 60 degrees or where th3 

 contents can be kept at that temper- 

 ature. As fermentation, decomposi- 

 tion, will only take place in a warm 

 atmosphere, a warm location is of the 

 greatest importance. 



Our tank is built of brick and is ce- 

 mented. It is built in two equal parts. 



separated by a partition, each being 

 4 feet square on the inside and 5 feet 

 deep, and each holding about 600 gal- 

 lons. So what we call our manure 

 tank is more correctly two tanks con- 

 nected. One of these is built three 

 feet in the ground, the other stands 

 two feet higher, and is consequently 

 only one foot in the ground. On the 

 side most convenient to approach a 

 2-inch pipe is walled in the partition 

 2K feet up from the bottom of the 

 upper tank for the purpose of drawing 

 off the liquid from the upper tank in- 

 to the lower. The walls of the upper 

 tank are 12 inches thick, the lower 

 tank being over half in the ground; 

 8-inch walls are sufficient, so if the 

 walls are built flush on the outside the 

 lower tank will hold more, having 

 only 8-inch walls. An 8-inch wall for 

 the partition is strong enough. My 

 space did not permit, otherwise I 

 would have built the lower tank to 

 double its size, at least large enough 

 to hold 1,000 gallons. 



It will not be out of place here to 

 mention that our houses are piped for 

 the distribution of the liquid manure 

 and are worked with a hand force 

 pump. One man can easily manage 

 the pump to run it to the most distant 

 houses. This same line we use in win- 

 ter for tempering water running 

 through a coil of pipes in a small 

 steam boiler, drawing the water from 

 our regular waterline with the pres- 

 sure from the city waterworks. 



To commence operations we place 

 the raw material in the upper tank, 

 enough so it will cover the bottom, 

 from 6 to 8 inches deep, and then fill 

 up with water to the connecting pipe, 

 or the tank half full, and stir up well. 

 It will take from two to three weeks 

 for the decomposition of the first ma- 

 terial. When decomposed enough for 

 use the solid matter will all have risen 

 to the top; then fill the tank up to the 

 top and stir all up well. In about one 

 hour the whole of the solid matter will 

 have settled to the bottom, when the 

 clear liquid can be drawn off through 

 the connecting pipe into the lower 

 tank for use. This should not be de- 

 layed, for in one to two hours' time 

 the solid matter will commence to 

 rise and the clear liquid become riled 

 again. In one day the whole of the 

 mass will be on top again and the 

 same filling up and drawing off can be 

 repeated. 



This is the process of leaching out 

 the decomposed soluble matter. After 

 two or three times drawing off we fill 

 in small quantities of fresh material, 

 which will decompose very rapidly be- 

 ing mixed with the older material in 

 full fermentation. The stirring and 

 filling up with fresh water causes a 

 temporary cessation of the ferment- 

 ing process and everything settles to 

 the bottom, so there is scarcely any 

 danger from the fresh undecomposed 

 material. When accumulating too 

 much in the tank, being too cumber- 

 some to handle, some can be taken out 

 with a shovel when the whole mass 

 is on top. It should not be allowed 



