144 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



To prevent losses from manure, it is necessary: 



(1) To use absorbents to retain all the liquid part. 



(2) To spread it on the land as soon as possible. 



(3) If it cannot be spread at once, keep it under cover, 

 tramped and moist, and on a cement floor, if possible. 



Various materials are used with manure to help to re- 

 tain the nitrogen and to reinforce the manure at the same 

 time. Kainit, gypsum, acid phosphate and floats are most 

 commonly used. Of these, acid phosphate and floats are best, 

 unless the farm is in particular need of potash. Any of these 

 substances tend to retain the nitrogen that might escape 

 to the air as a result of fermentation. They do not prevent 

 much of the losses due to leaching. About 40 pounds of 

 acid phosphate, or twice this amount of floats, may be 

 mixed with each ton of manure as it accumulates. At the 

 Ohio Station 40 pounds of acid phosphate, worth about 

 30 cents, was used with each ton of manure. This pro- 

 duced a ten-year average increase in crops to the value 

 of $4.57 for each ton of manure above the cost of the 

 acid phosphate. It practically doubled the benefits from 

 each ton of manure. This is doubtless due in part to the 

 saving of nitrogen, and in part to the need of phosphoric 

 acid on this land. 



145. Application of Manure. A good place to apply 

 manure is preceding the corn crop. It is also desirable as 

 a top-dressing for grass land. Unless there is some reason 

 for not doing so, the manure should be applied on the most 

 valuable crop that is being raised, corn, cotton, potatoes, 

 truck, etc. On fairly fertile land it is not best to apply 

 it directly to the small grain crops, as oats, wheat, barley, 

 as they are likely to make too rank a growth. 



