318 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



The amounts of fertiJity returned to the soil in each case were: 



Nitrogen. Phos. Acid. Potash. 

 Manure from the ton of timothy hay, leached, &c. 5 2 6 



Manure from the 1500 lbs. of hay and 500 lbs. bran, 



well cared for 25 17 25 



These figures represent fairly well the differences in the composi- 

 tion of manure and explain why some speak so highly in favor of, 

 while others condemn. 



The action of stable manure upon the soil is both physical and 

 chemical. It frequently happens that the main value of the manure 

 is in its physical action upon the soil, acting- as a mulch, prevent- 

 ing excessive and rapid loss of the soil water by evaporation, or 

 when thoroughly rotted and worked into the soil enabling the soil 

 to retain more water, making the soil warmer, due to the oxidation, 

 or burning up, of the manure in the soil. In these cases, it is equal- 

 ly essential that the manure should be thoroughly rotted as well as 

 rich in plant food. 



The supply of stable manure is sometimes linaited, and the dis- 

 tances from cities or villages so great and the cost of hauling is so 

 much as to make it too expensive. What is to be done in such cases? 

 First, look for natural supplies of fertilizers in the form of muck, or 

 peat. The brown and black muck from peaty places are frequently 

 rich enough in nitrogen to warrant their use. The brown humus is 

 less apt to be sour and is generally quicker acting than the black 

 forms. The peat should be mixed with stable manure and left in 

 pits in the field for some little time before use, so as to allow it to 

 ferment and properly cure. Peat and muck will supply nitrogen, 

 but the3^ are usually poor in phosphoric acid and potash. 



In case that peat or muck can not be had or does not prove satis- 

 factory, a little tankage or dried blood should be tried. The tank- 

 age, which consists of the refuse animal matter, is usually quick, 

 rich in nitrogen and phosphoric acid, but contains but little potash. 

 Tankage must be used with caution. In beginning it is best not to 

 use over 200 to 250 pounds of it per acre. It should not be placed in 

 the hills directly in contact with the seed. A heavy dressing of 

 tankage, of 800 pounds on a loam soil in a dry season, will destroy 

 vegetation. Tankage gives its best results when there is a proper 

 amount of moisture in the soil so that it will properly ferment. It 

 will be best to give the tankage a trial on a small scale so as to get 

 acquainted with it before using it on a large scale. 



Z>riec? ^7ooc? is a concentrated form of nitrogenous fertilizer ob- 

 tained from our slaughter houses. It is quicker in its action than 

 tankage, and for some purposes it is more valuable. Dried blood 

 and tankage are not complete fertilizers; they are deficient in pot. 

 ash, and for general fertilizing purposes they must be reinforced on 

 the potash side. At the present prices, dried blood will prove a 

 much cheaper fertilizer than nitrate of soda. Dried blood contains 

 about 10 per cent nitrogen. At $12.00 per ton, a dollar will buy eigh- 

 teen pounds of nitrogen; nitrate of soda costs $45.00 per ton and con- 

 tains* about 15 per cent of nitrogen. A dollar's worth of nitrate of 

 soda will contain 6.6 pounds of nitrogen. 



It is more difficult to obtain a good supply of potash than it is of 

 either nitrogen or phosphoric acid. Fortunately our soils are not 



