7o6 



Journal of AgriciiUure , Victoria. [ii Nov., 1912. 



Mixing of Manures. 



Care needs to be exercised in the mixing of manures. Fertilizers 

 cannot be mixed indiscriminately without risk of loss, or of lowering 

 the value of some of the plant food constituents. 



With regard to nitrogenous manures, sulphate of ammonia, nitro- 

 genous guanos, animal and blood manures, should not be mixed with 

 substances of a strongly alkaline character. 



Quicklime, slacked lime, wood ashes. Thomas' phosphate, or basig 

 slag' should, under no circumstances, be mixed with these manures, since 

 considerable loss of annnonia will result. 



"With regard to nitrate nitrogen, loss is liable to occur with nitrate 

 of soda if nnich free sulphuric acid is present in superphosphates; 

 especially if the manures are mixed some time before application, and 

 are kept in a warm place. Provided, however, the super is well made 

 and drv. and the mixing is performed at the time of sowing, very little 

 loss will occur. 



"tKtM^^^t 



i- FEEDING OFF TESTS 

 ,^'|||f*fE SHEEP 



-1914 



! -'ISIS V-Vt'-'>^^- 



6. FEEDING OFF OF RAPE PLOT WITH SHEEP. 



With regard to phosphatic manures, reversion will take place with 

 soluble phosphates when placed in contact with lime, iron, or alumina 

 compounds. This has already been referred to in dealing with the re- 

 version of superphosphate. 



In purchasing mixed manures attention should be paid to the 

 guaranteed analyses. 



The farmer should study particularly the guarantee for nitrogen 

 and see whether it is in the form of nitrate, ammonia, blood. &c., also 

 the percentage of water soluble, citrate soluble, and insoluble phosphate 

 should receive close attention. Frequently the prices asked for certain 

 mixed manures is out of all proportion to their real commercial value, 

 and in such cases the mixing can be most profitably done by purchasing 

 fertilizers separately, and mixing them on the farm. A study of the 

 unit values published each year in the Journal will enable each pur- 

 chaser to determine for himself whether the prices asked for a given 

 mixed manure is reasonable. 



