76 PRACTICAL FAK.M CH KM I'S'J UV 



Stable manure, no account could be taken of the 

 carbon in it. Yet this constituent gives a great 

 additional advantage over concentrated or chemical 

 manures, which supply the three essential plant 

 foods, bnt have not the beneficial mechanical effect 

 to be observed from the decomposition (slow com- 

 bustion) of the carbonaceous matter contained in the 

 barnyard manures. 



Not all farmers, however, have such golden oppor- 

 tunities of purchasing manures at rates such as 

 named. The rest may have to patronize the manu- 

 facturers or mixers of concentrated manures, or they 

 may become manufacturers of fertilizers themselves, 

 by keeping and raising more stock — cows, sheep, 

 hogs, poultry, etc. — at the same time making a 

 home market for a large share of their products, 

 since high feeding is as necessary a condition of suc- 

 cess in this branch of agriculture, as high cultiva- 

 tion is in profitable grain and fruit farming. 



Next to ordinary stable or barnyard manure, 



poultry droppings may justly be considered the most 



important of the domestic farm fertilizers. 



Manure ^ ^^ ^^ receipt of more inquiries con- 

 cerning the value of poultry manure, 

 than concerning that of any other fertilizer, wood 

 ashes perhaps excepted. At the same time there is 

 a good deal of rubbish written about its great value, 

 and its caustic nature, and so forth, so that people 

 have largely overestimated its strength, and become 

 afraid to apply one quarter of a fair ration for fear 

 of hurting the crops. 



Poultry droppings, like other yard manures, vary 

 greatly in value, according to kind and amount of 

 feed given to the fowls, and the treatment given to 

 the droppings. A fair average sample of the ma- 



