Value of Fowl Manure.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 May 1910, Page 4

Value of Fowl Manure.

Droppings from domestic fouls are oiti'ii undervalued. but properly •tr-eii.tocl they nro of considerable importance to all those having a garden. They are generally gathered iu small quantities, heiico they are not much thought of, lint they constitute -a manure rich in soluble constituents, corresponding somewhat to the guano of the soconcl grades. in former times, says a writer in tho Gardiner's Chronicle, when iowl-rearing was more common than at present:, the value of their dung was better Appreciated. Tho an" eient Romans particularly praised their pigeon dung; they gathered it in huge quantities, and utilised it, especially for fruit trees. As in the case in respect to other domestic animals, tho richness of poultry manure «s a plant stimulant depends largely upon tho character of the food the fowl consumes. When they eat many insects and worms, or arc fed with bonemeal and meat-refuse, their voidings are much richer than if fed on grain or vegetable matter exclusively. , Likewise, it pigeons arc fed largely with peas, lentils, or vetches, their manure will be correspondingly rich in nitrogenous plant food. Dr GrofF, who has experinun 'ed with domestic fowls, advises ceding them with all the fresh-ground bone thev will eat. The result will he that their drippings will not only bo richer for ma nu rial purposes ! u ho gioatlv iuiTeisjd An anily-is shmvd that the dung from bone fe 1 fowls was about three times rii li-.* ii mitogen Iliii1 l iii d'nig frnai tlte ordinary fed fowls. Poultry manure is an exceedingly vwlueibio fertilise. Tho richest manure is from hens and pigeons. Geeso eat grass, and both ducks and geese drink large quantities of water. Remarks have been made that poultry manurn poisons pi ante to which it has been applied. This is simply because used in excess. Tt should he applied in moderate quantities only at, a time, and for preference used in the spring, and not dug too deeplv into the soil. Tt must be remembered that yonng and delicate plants .a re more often injured in the spring months by too much stimubi.fin'r manure than bv too littl' l . Small doses frennentlv repented should ho the rule for enrlv crops. This also prevents waste of plant food. Plants growing in pots nro freemen tlv starved to death for want of RiiffifieH; food, owincr to tV>ir limited soil area, and to the freoiTMit ivo l-evitK* reprlovefl itoppssnrv ■ hen pa +bp valor', of nn occasional ROV'nklitlW oil th<> .S'lrTrino rf +,1,0 c-ni) r-f 'Tri'rd n'vl D'drpi'i.mrl „t>i,_ i,r<\ Tli'» <lii.lT* pth* "lco !>'» emv)lov«d ji, ninViiirr cjiil Pfim-pei«t p for n'ln-wnpnq^