STOCK RAISING AND SOIL FERTILITY 



179 



Losses due to leaching—Next to the 

 losses which occur in the fermentation 

 of manures is that caused by leaching 1 . 

 Horse manure thrown into a loose pile 

 out of doors and subject to changing 

 weather conditions loses practically one- 

 half of its fertilizing constituents within 

 six months. If mixed with cow or hog 

 manure and kept close in a compact mass 

 so that the water will quickly run off, 

 the loss, while still considerable, is not 

 nearly so great. Manure allowed to lie 

 in the barnyard over summer, loses fully 

 one-half or more of its fertilizing value. 



very effective. Only so much should be 

 used, however, as is necessary to keep 

 the animals clean, as it is very poor in 

 fertilizing constituents and its presence 

 serves simply as a means of dilution. 



Chemicals are sometimes used to fix 

 the ammonia. Gypsum or land plaster 

 is one of the best of these. This may be 

 sprinkled on the fresh dung and urine 

 in small amounts and is one of the most 

 effective materials for this purpose, be- 

 sides being a lime fertilizer of consider- 

 able value. The manure heap itself 

 as stated above, should be kept compact 



Fig. 130 — THESE 15 LOADS OF CORN SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONDENSED INTO 2 

 LOADS OF MEAT AND $150 WORTH OF MANURE RETAINED ON THE FARM 



Manure preservatives—The organisms 

 causing the decomposition of manure are 

 voided with it and commence their ac- 

 tivity at once. Through their opera- 

 tions considerable losses of ammonia oc- 

 cur in the manure of horses and sheep 

 in a comparatively short time. The 

 most effective means of retarding this 

 loss is by the use of absorptives, such as 

 straw, leaves, peat, sawdust, etc. These 

 not only take up the liquid portions, 

 but absorb to a considerable extent the 

 ammonia produced by fermentation 

 which would otherwise be lost in the air. 



The most effective absorptives are peat 

 moss and peat. Straw, however, is the 

 material most widely available and is 



and uniformly moist. When this pre- 

 caution is observed the use of land 

 plaster or any other chemical will 

 scarcely be necessary. The various kinds 

 of manure should be mixed together in 

 the heap, the horse manure with the cow 

 manure, etc. 



Yards for manure_The barnyard in 

 which the manure is kept should be 

 dished so that when the manure pile is 

 built in the center, the leachings will 

 drain towards it. The ground should be 

 uniformly packed down to prevent the 

 percolation of the liquid into the soil, 

 and on sandy or gravelly yards it may 

 be advisable to cement over the lower 

 portion. 



