PRODUCING MARKET MILK IN EASTERN NEBRASKA. 



CREDIT FOR MANURE. 



The method used in these studies for obtaining the value of manure 

 takes into consideration the fertihzing constituents of the feeds. 

 The proportion of the fertihzing constituents of the feed that was 

 returned in the manure was obtained from standard tables. A cow 

 digesting her feed utilizes on the average approximately 25 per cent 

 of the nitrogen, 30 per cent of the phosphorus, and 15 per cent of 

 the potash contained in the feed. It is evident, then, that 75 per 

 cent of the nitrogen, 70 per cent of the phosphorus, and 85 per cent 

 of the potash is voided in urine or in the solid portion of the manure. 

 The urine voided by a cow is more valuable than the solid manure 

 as a source of nitrogen and potash. 



Table 4. 



Mcmure and fertilizing constituents credited to the herds during the two winters 

 and the two summers. 



Item. 



Winter. 



1917-18 1919-20 Average 



Summer. 



1918 1919 



Average. 



Total manure saved tons. . 



Manure per cow pounds. . 



Manure credited jicr 100 pounds of milk, 

 pounds 



Fertilizing constituents in manure, 



pounds 



Credit per cow pounds. . 



979.1 

 7,062 



801.1 

 7,289 



890. 1 

 7,162 



68.9 

 532 



7.-). 5 

 647 



22 



72.2 

 587 



20 



Winter average. 



Summer average. 



Nitro- 

 gen. 



8,426 

 33.9 



Phos- 

 phoric 

 acid. 



2,599 

 10.5 



Potash. 



Nitro- 

 gen. 



8,753 

 35.2 



683 

 2.8 



Phos- 

 phoric 

 acid. 



210 

 0.9 



Potash. 



710 

 3.0 



The small credit for manure (Table 4) is due to a combination of 

 factors. During the summer the cows are in the barn just long 

 enough to bo milked. Only during very cold or stormy days in 

 winter are th(^ cows kept in the barn. On other days they are per- 

 mitted to run in th(> stalk fields, where they pick up a little corn and 

 such rougliage as they can find. On many farms a considerable 

 quantity of the manure voided in the barns, especially the litjuid 

 portion, was lost through leaky gutters. When it was stored in 

 the yards before being spread on the fields a large percentage of the 

 fertilizing value was lost through seepage and exposure to the weather. 



Only the manure that was dropped directly on the stalk fields, or 

 was saved, or could have been saved hj using reasonable care with 

 the equipment available, was credited to the cows. The (luantity 

 of manure dropped was approximated by keeping a record of the 

 time the cows were actually in the barn. This made it possible to 



