982 MANURE 



other absorbents, are usually spoken of as barn Manures. 

 Commercial Manures or " fertilizers" are usually concen- 

 trated forms of nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid, 

 mixed or unmixed (see Fertilizers) ; green Manures are 

 living plants plowed under to furnish humus and increase 

 productivity; amendments are substances, such as lime, 

 which may increase the growth and healthfulness of 

 plants by improving the physical con 

 ditoin of the soil and by setting free un- 

 available plant-food. In general farm- 

 ing, barn Manures are usually applied in 

 the raw or unrotted state; in horticul- 

 ture, rotted or partially rotted. Horse 



Manure is used for hotbeds, while cow Manure, mixed 

 with soil, is best for forming a moist, rich, potting 

 earth. Dung, the solid voidings of animals, after weath- 

 ering for a time, is also a valuable addition to potting 

 earth. Florists often keep a number of dairy cattle that 

 an abundant supply of bovine Manure, which is so valu- 

 able in floriculture, may be at hand. Commercial Manures 

 are used in small quantities, either direct or in solution. 

 Nitrogen stimulates the vegetative system and tends to 

 produce rapid growth and dark foliage. Phosphoric acid , 

 among other effects, has that of producing well-developed 

 plump seeds and fruits; potash may augment these ef- 

 fects, as well as increase and intensify the color of the 

 bloom. 



Barn Manures are more highly prized than formerly. 

 Waste of their valuable constituents is now largely 

 avoided either by applying them to the land day by day, 

 as they are produced, or by more rational methods of 

 caring for them until they are partly rotted or oppor- 

 tunity is afforded for most suitable application to the 

 land. Covered yards or pits are now sometimes used 

 for temporarily storing Manures, where they can have 

 water added if too dry and if likely to "firefang;" or 

 absorbents, such as straw, dry muck, gypsum and the 

 like, may be used if they are too watery. When bedding 

 is abundant, the animals may take their exercise in the 

 covered yard, as they will solidify the Manure by tramp- 

 ing it, thereby diminishing loss by too rapid fermenta- 

 tion. Salt and gypsum both conserve plant-food in ma- 



MANURE 



nures when spread over the mass from time to time in 

 small quantities. The quantity and value of Manure 

 made by domestic animals is not realized by those who 

 allow it to be scattered over large, open barnyards or 

 allow it to remain for considerable periods under the 

 eaves of the barn. Extended experiments at the Cornell 

 Experiment Station showed that the following amounts 

 of excrements were produced 

 daily for each 1,000 pounds of live 

 weight of animal: 



Sheep 34. libs. 



Calves 67.8 Ibs. 



Pigs 83.6 Ibs. 



Cows 74.1 Ibs. 



Horses 48.8 Ibs. 



Fowls 39.8 Ibs. 



Animals fed on a highly nitro- 

 genous or narrow ration (as 1:4), 

 as were the pigs in the above in- 

 vestigations, consume large 

 quantities of water and produce 

 a large amount of Manure, the 

 weight of which often exceeds 

 the amount of food consumed; 

 while those fed on a carbonaceous 

 or wide ration (as 1:9) consume 

 comparatively little water and 

 produce less weight of manure. 



Some conditions affecting the 

 production of Manure and its 

 value may be stated as follows: 

 If the plant-food value of Manure 

 is computed at the price that is 

 paid for the same constituents in 

 fertilizers, it is found that the 

 value of Manure produced by ani- 

 mals is equal to 30 to 50 per cent 

 of the cost of their food. Young 

 animals produce poorer Manure 

 than mature ones. The excre- 

 ments of animals which give a 

 product, as milk or young, are 

 poorer than those from non-pro- 

 ductive animals. The more abun- 

 dant the ration the less complete 

 the digestion and the greater the 

 value of the Manure produced. 

 Concentrated and nitrogenous 

 foods result in richer and more 

 valuable excrements than uncon- 

 centrated or carbonaceous foods. 

 Liberal salting and excessively 

 succulent foods* diminish the 

 value of Manures. The amount 



and kind of bedding affect not only the quantity but 

 the value per ton. Animals kept in cold quarters drink 

 little water, digest their food closely and produce a Ma- 

 nure relatively small in amount and poor in quality. 



Rich Manures are relatively more valuable per unit 

 of contained fertility than poor ones. Plants are most 

 benefiteb when they receive extra nourishment in the 

 early stages of their growth. Coarse, low-grade Ma- 

 nures should be weathered or rotted to improve their 

 availability, even though some loss may occur. A unit 

 of plant-food in high-grade fertilizers or well-preserved, 

 rotted Manures is worth more than in low grades. The 

 valuable constituents in farm Manures are not so quickly 

 available as they are in high-grade fertilizers, but they 

 have an additional value, since they furnish humus, 

 lighten the soil and increase its power to hold moisture, 

 while assisting in liberating the mineral constituents of 

 the soil. The value of Manure as set down below is 

 determined by investigations during the winter months, 

 and the nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash are com- 

 puted at 15, 6 and 4% cents per pound, respectively. 

 The indirect beneficial effects of Manure are considered 

 an equal offset for the slightly less availability of their 

 plant food constituents as compared with fertilizers: 

 Kind of Manure. Value per ton. 



Sheep $3 30 



Calves 2 17 



Pigs 3 29 



Cows 2 02 



Horses 2 21 



1369. Manihot. 



The plant whose roots produce tapioca. 

 (See p. 981.) 



