148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



FERMENTIIira MANURES. 



In our last club discussion, it being the third 

 upon the subject of "manure and its application," 

 one member recommended keeping manure for a 

 year or more, if necessarj^, or until it was tliorougli- 

 ly decomposed, chiefly for the purpose of destroy- 

 ing foul seeds, claiming that if there were no such 

 seeds sown by means of the manure, or with the 

 grain sown, or by the wind or birds, or allowed to 

 go to seed with hoed crops — that, eventually, our 

 farms would be free from foul weeds. It was ob- 

 jected by some that the end could iiever be accom- 

 jylished on the ground that foul weeds were a fart 

 of "the curse" upon fallen man ; that the seeds 

 ■were in the earth, made and purposely put there by 

 God, and consequently it would ever be in vain 

 for man to strive to eradicate them. 



One member remarked that a friend told him 

 that he had jjositive proof that kale seed would live 

 in the earth and germinate after twenty years. 



Now, Messrs, Editors, how is it — will seeds ger- 

 minate after having lain in a manure heap a year, 

 while it is fermenting and becoming thoroughly 

 decomposed ? 



The question, — whether manure can be suffic- 

 iently heated to destroy the vitality of seeds, with- 

 out greatly injuring the manure itself, — is a very 

 interesting and important one. It is one upon 

 •which we have experimented considerably without 

 being able, as yet, to come to any well-settled 

 conclusions as to that particular point. It needs 

 to be conducted with great care, in order to be of 

 value. The seeds, of various kinds, should be ad- 

 ded to the manure, so that the experimenter shall 

 know that they are there, and then the whole pro- 

 cess conducted with the nicest accuracy in regard 

 to the temperature of the heap, weather, &c. We 

 have entertained the opinion that the compost 

 heap may be fermented to such a degree as will 

 destroy the vitality of seeds, without injuring the 

 compost, but feel satisfied that it can only be done 

 by exercising the greatest care during the process 

 of fermentation. 



Some members affirmed that they were always 

 troubled more by weeds from old manure than 

 iiova fresh! 



Is it generally considered that it is bad policy, 

 on the score of manunal value, to retain manure 

 until well decomposed ? Some of our club mem- 

 bers think there is a necessary loss of a large pro- 

 portion of fertilizing matter when the manure de- 

 composes out of the earth ; others think that the 

 manure increases in net value more than 6 per 

 cent., by being decomposed in the yard, and the 

 practice of "R. B.," one of the most successful 

 farmers in T., was cited in point. 



If we could do just as we please with the drop- 

 pings of our stock, we would have them spread 

 upon the ground and slightly covered, as often as 

 an ox-cart full had accumulated. In that condi- 

 tion, nothing whatever, we think, would be lost. 

 Not only all the fertilizing qualities would be saved, 

 but the fermentative process carried on in the ma- 

 nure would have a beneficial mechanical effect up- 



on the soil. The finest crops we have ever pro- 

 duced, have been obtained under this treatment, — 

 all the liquids being retained among the solids, 

 and spread and ploughed under three or four 

 inches in the autumn. In the following spring, the 

 ground was almost as mellow as an ash heap and 

 unusually black. The crop that grew upon it sur- 

 passed any other that have grown upon the farm. 

 But to the question : — Manure will not ferment in 

 a cold place. Whenever it becomes warm, and is 

 moist, then fermentation begins, and this may be 

 carried on until the manure becomes tender and 

 may be finely divided by overhauling, so as to be 

 convenient to use, or it may be carried on until 

 its fertilizing qualities are nearly exhausted. 



When fermentation takes place, ammonia is set 

 free, and there is some loss if the heap lies open, 

 and especially when it is disturbed in being over- 

 hauled. That loss, however, cannot be important. 

 "The more complete the state of fermentation, if 

 not carried too far, the more immediate will be the 

 agency of the manure." 



In his "Elements," Johnson says that "it has 

 been found that one ton of dry food and straw 

 gives a quantity of farm-yard dung which weighs, 



When recent 46 to 50 cwt. 



After 6 weeks 40 to 44 " 



After 8 weeks 38 to 40 " 



When half rotten 30 to 35 " 



When fully rotten 20 to 25 " 



A part of this loss may, no doubt, be ascribed 

 to the evaporation of a portion of the water of the 

 recent dung ; but the larger part is due to an ac- 

 tual escape of the substance of the manure itself. 

 The farmer, therefore, who applies the manure 

 from a given weight of food and straw, in a fresh 

 state, adds more to his land than if he first allows 

 it to become perfectly fermented. Were he to 

 chop bis straw and put it in as it comes fresh from 

 the field, he would add still more ; but its action 

 as a manure would be slower, and while it would 

 beneficially open stiff and heavy soils, it would in- 

 jure others by making them too light and porous." 



Will several cords of manure in one pile become 

 thoroughly decomposed in one season without 

 forking over ? And can it be forked over without 

 a loss of ammonia ? 



What we have said sufficiently answers this. 



How many inches of earth, or muck, covered 

 over such a pile, would be a perfect prevention 

 from loss during decomposition ? 



One or two inches of a clay, or even a sandy 

 loam, would be sufficient. 



Some farmers cover up, in the centre of such a 

 pile, a quantity of unslacked lime, to hasten fer- 

 mentation. Is it advisable to do so ? 



We do not believe it would be advisable, under 

 any ordinary circumstances. 



I am told that an agricultural school teacher, 

 who has some one-half dozen evening schools m 



