lOO FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER HINTS 



Pulverized Manures. — Pulverized sheep manure, poultry ma- 

 nure, and pigeon manure are found on the market in some sec- 

 tions. These manures usually carry a higher price than the 

 regular commercial fertilizers although they are not so valuable. 

 These products should be saved on the farm but it will hardly 

 pay to purchase them unless the price is much less than for com- 

 mercial fertilizers. The value of these manures is often ex- 

 aggerated because they are quick acting. They are to be found 

 for sale in seed stores and are purchased generally in small 

 amounts by those having small gardens or house plants.* 



Fresh Fish Scrap. — Farmers living near the sea coast use a 

 great deal of fresh fish scrap and whole fish. This material con- 

 tains nitrogen and phosphoric acid but an average composition 

 is impossible to give because the moisture content is so variable. 

 The main value in fish is derived from the nitrogen they contain. 

 Lobster shells, mussels, shrimp waste and King crab are other 

 wastes that are used for fertilizer. These are economical ferti- 

 lizers when they can be had for nothing, or at a low price, pro- 

 vided they do not have to be carted a great distance.* 



Sewage and Sewage Sludge. — Sewage contains about 0.40 per 

 cent, of nitrogen, 0.27 per cent, of potash, 0.85 per cent, of 

 phosphoric acid and 75-80 per cent, of water. It is not a valu- 

 able fertilizer and requires either ditches or porous pipes for its 

 proper distribution on the land. 



Sewage sludge is a product obtained by precipitating the sus- 

 pended matter in sewage with certain chemicals and squeezing 

 out the excess of water. This product contains from 0.60 to 2.3 

 per cent, of nitrogen, 0.60 to 2.3 per cent, of phosphoric acid and 

 traces of potash. It has some value as fertilizer.* 



Coal ashes sometimes helps to improve the condition of certain 

 soils. This material does not contain enough of the essential ele- 

 ments to be valuable as fertilizer but its indirect action may help 

 to produce better physical properties in soils. This material is 

 perhaps more valuable for walks and roads than for fertilizer. 



Lime-kiln Ashes. — When lime and wood are burned together 

 in making quicklime the resulting product is known as lime-kiln 



