Farm Manure . 119 



manure produced. This method of calculating holds true only 

 when the theoretical quantity of bedding has been used. 



In practice the farmer usually uses all the bedding material 

 he has at hand, even if it may exceed that necessary to absorb all 

 the urine, and such practice is generally considered advisable for 

 the reason that such materials as straw or shavings will decay 

 much more readily when mixed with the excrement of animals. 

 Where more litter than the theoretical amount is used, the method 

 of calculation given must be corrected by adding to the total, the 

 weight of the bedding in excess of 25 per cent of the dry matter 

 of the ration. 



Value of manure. The great importance of barn yard manure 

 as a farm resource is appreciated to its full extent by but few 

 farmers. A large proportion of those engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits seem to have little realization of the immense loss in- 

 curred through the waste of this important product of the farm. 

 They begrudge the time and labor required to remove it from 

 the barn and feeding lot and it is not uncommon to see the pur- 

 chase of commercial fertilizers and the waste of farm manure 

 going on at the same time and on the same farm. Barns are 

 erected on steep hillsides, or even close to the banks of running 

 streams, which practice insures a most effective and wasteful loss 

 of the valuable constituents of the manure heap. 



In order to fully emphasize the great value of the manure pro- 

 duced on the farm, figures are given for the amount and value 

 of the manure produced in one year by a herd of 50 cows giving 

 an average individual yield of 15 pounds of milk daily. These 

 results are largely taken from Vivian's "First Principles of Soil 

 Fertility." 



It is assumed that the same ration is fed throughout the year. 

 In actual practice the ration varies somewhat throughout the 

 year, but nevertheless the good feeder aims to keep the composi- 

 tion of the ration very much the same even when various sources 

 of food materials are drawn upon. 



The following ration will be used as a basis for calculation, 



