

FARM MANURES 609 



manure is long, coarse, and not well rotted. It should 

 not be turned under so deep, however, as to prevent ready 

 decay. If manure is fine and well decomposed, it may 

 be harrowed into the surface soil. The method employed 

 depends on the crop, the soil, and the condition of the 

 manure. The amount to be applied varies consider- 

 ably. Eight tons to the acre would be a light dressing, 

 15 tons a medium dressing, and 25 tons heavy for an 

 ordinary soil. On trucking lands, however, as high as 

 50 or 100 tons is often used. 



513. Reinforcement of manure. — The reinforcement 

 of farm manures is designed to accomplish two things in 

 the handling of this product : (1) checking loss by leaching 

 and fermentation, and (2) balancing the manure and 

 rendering its agricultural value higher. Four chemicals 

 may be used in this reinforcement : gypsum (CaSO^, 

 kainit (KC1, mostly), acid phosphate (CaH^PO^ + 

 CaS0 4 ), and floats (raw rock phosphate, Ca 3 (P04) 2 ). 



Gypsum is supposed to act on the ammonia, changing 

 it to ammonium sulfate, a stable compound. It is rather 

 insoluble, however, so that its action is slow. It may be 

 applied in the stable or on the manure pile. The rate 

 is about 100 pounds to the ton of manure. It has no 

 balancing effect. 



Kainit is added to react with any ammonia that may 

 be produced and also to increase the potash in the manure. 

 It is soluble, and because of its caustic tendencies it must 

 not come into contact with the feet of the animals. It 

 must not be spread on the manure, therefore, until the 

 stock has been removed. Since manure is unbalanced 

 as to phosphorus, the agricultural value of this reinforce- 

 ment is likely to be slight. Kainit is usually added at 

 the rate of 50 pounds to the ton of manure. 

 2s 



