n] LIQUID MANURE 15 



drain. The liquid should be pumped up into the water-cart and 

 applied to the meadows or the leys; it is especially valuable just 

 now because of its richness in potash. Hendrick 1 finds on an 

 average that 1000 gallons (4J tons) of the liquid contain about: 



20| Ibs nitrogen, equal to that present in 100 Ibs sulphate of ammonia, 

 3 Ibs phosphoric acid, equal to that present in 25 Ibs superphosphate, 

 46 Ibs potash, equal to that present in 3 cwts kainit, 



worth altogether more than 1, even at pre-war prices, and of 

 course much more now. This was obtained from animals heavily 

 fed with turnips (100 Ibs per day per 1000 Ibs live weight) and 

 therefore passing large volumes of dilute urine. 



In the Irish experiments 2 liquid manure applied at the rate of 

 16 tons per acre on hay land gave as good results as 16 tons of 

 farmyard manure, or 5 cwts per acre artificial manures (1 cwt 

 of nitrate of soda, 2 cwts superphosphate, and 2 cwts kainit). It 

 is obvious that this is not material to be wasted. 



Use of Farmyard Manure. Farmyard manure benefits both 

 soil and crop. It improves the tilth of heavy soils, and increases 

 the water supply of light ones. It nourishes the crop because it 

 contains everything the plant requires. But it has first to decom- 

 pose in the soil, and therefore the following rule holds good: 



The full benefit of farmyard manure is obtained only when the 

 soil is well cultivated, well drained, and well limed. 



The composition of farmyard manure is as follows: 



Composition of stable manure (Ibs per ton) 



Good Poor farmyard Town 



farmyard no cake stables 



Dry matter ... 613 610 694 



Nitrogen ... 17 12 14 

 Phosfhate (P 2 O 6 ) 959 



Potash (K 2 0) ... 13 15 11 



Water 1627 1630 1546 



No one manure can possibly suit every crop, and farmyard 

 manure is no exception. Turnips want more phosphates than it 

 supplies : and mangolds can do with more nitrogen, while potatoes, 

 generally, but not always, want more nitrogen, more phosphates, 

 and more potash. 



1 Aberdeen Bull. No. 19, 1915. 



2 Journ. Dept. Agric., Ireland, 1913, 13, 251. 



