204 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I903. 



manure witli an equal bulk of wood ashes — together with some 

 peat or loam, to hinder the escape of ammonia — to throw the 

 mixture into little heaps, and to moisten them by sprinklinp^ with 

 a watering-pot. In this way, the uric acid is made ready to act 

 immediately as a powerful forcing-manure. Hen-manure is apt 

 to be sticky when fresh, and lumpy when dry, and it is not easy 

 to make it fine enough to be sown from a drill. Its lightness (of 

 the dried manure) also hinders it from running freely through 

 the tubes. Hence it is better suited for the gardener and the 

 small-way farmer, who can distribute it by hand, than for field 

 operations. But there can be no question as to its value when 

 properly managed." 



By itself, hen dung is a one-sided nitrogenous fertilizer. 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 economi- 

 cally 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 saw- 

 dust or some other dry material as an absorbant (good dry loam 

 will answer nicely) so as to make a well balanced fertilzer. 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 1.25 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 furnish 50 pounds nitrogen, 185 

 pounds phosphoric acid, and 80 pounds potash. 



