POULTRY NOTES I9II-I913. 143 



different methods of treatment were tested. The authors give 

 the following summary of their results. 



"By itself, hen dung is a one-sided nitrogenous fertiHzer. 

 As usually managed, one-half or more of its nitrogen is lost, 

 so that as ordinarily used it does not carry so great an excess 

 of nitrogen. Because of its excess of nitrogen it will be much 

 more economically used in connection with manures carrying 

 phosphoric acid and potash. As both acid phosphate and 

 kainit prevent the loss of nitrogen, it is possible to use them in 

 connection with sawdust or some other ' dry material as an 

 absorbent (good dry loam or peat will answer nicely) so as to 

 make a well balanced fertiHzer. For example, a mixture of 30 

 pounds of hen manure, 10 pounds of sawdust, 16 pounds of 

 acid phosphate, and 8 pounds of kainit would carry about .25 

 per cent nitrogen, 4.5 per cent phosphoric acid, and 2 per cent 

 potash, which, used at the rate of 2 tons per acre, would fur- 

 nish 50 pounds nitrogen, 185 pounds phosphoric acid, and 80 

 pounds potash." 



At the present price of fertilizing ingredients this mixture 

 is worth about $10.00 per ton. It is a well balanced, stable, 

 fertilizer which, while still not fine enough to work well in 

 drills, can be successfully applied with a manure spreader. 



The kind of absorbent used should be the one which can 

 be obtained at least cost, since the amotmt of plant food added 

 by any of those suggested is negligible, and since they are about 

 equally effective as dryers (the slight acidity of peat gives it 

 some advantage as it helps a little to preserve the nitrogen). 

 It is probably that one of the three can be obtained by any poul- 

 tryman or farmer at little or no expense. 



The absorbent and the acid pho'Sphate and kainit should be 

 kept conveniently at hand and each day when the droppings 

 are collected they should be treated. It may be best to weigh 

 the ingredients a few times, after which it will be possible to 

 make sufficiently close estimates by measure. 



The treated droppings should be well sheltered until time to 

 apply them to the land, i. e., shortly before plowing. Any form 

 of shelter may be used. For a temporary plant, or for a small 

 farm, a small wooden building or a bin in a larger building will 

 probably be the best place practicable; but for a large, perma- 

 nent poultry plant a cement manure shed or tank is advisable. 



