FARMING NOTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 46, 15 June 1915, Page 4

FARMING NOTES.

Stable Manure.

Retaining its Valuable Qualities.

For various reasons the manure from the stables and the cowsheds usually is not regarded as being of mush value in the colonies, probably chiefly because of the expense incurred in handling it properly and distributing it on the land. Many farmers make no attempt at all to put it to an economic use, and others who do utilise it fail to "kiep" it satisfactorily prior to distribution, so that the greater part of its maiurial value is loat. Ihere can be no question that if an efficient system were adopted farmers would find it a profitable investment to stack their cow and stable manure, and periodically dress a portion of their land with it. It may not be generally known that far-reacning changes occur in farmyard manure' during its storage in a heap, and some of these nduce its value materially. One of the chief losses is that of ammonia Recent investigations have shown this to amount to betwen 25 atd 33 per cent. THE ADDiIION OF "FIXEKS."

A mcde by which the heap sub tains the loss of nitrogen is es folbws:— Urea, one of the nitrogcnuous constituents derived from the liquid excreta of t!ie farm animals which made the manure, is converted by one, and pastibly more than oof, specific micro-organism into ammonium carbonate—a tubstance which leadily liberates its ammonia ti the air. Kussell and Richards i dicate another method whereby loss of nitrogen is sustained. These observers Btate that a formation of nitrate goes on on the ouUide of the heap; but these nitrates it washed into the body of the heap undergo a sort of denitrifying piocees, as a retult of which Ditrogen is formed, and escapes into Ihe air. Many at'empU have been made to prevent the loss of ammonia by the addi ion of fixers; that is, substances which i: teiact with the vlatile ammonium carbonate to form a mor.- i title compound. Gyppsu n, calcum sulphate, nainit (pjia=sium and magnesium cholnde), superphosphate (acid calcium phosphate) have all been tried, though without much tuccess. Gardening books in particular oi'ten insist that gypsum is efficacious, but as a matter of fact, fcr it to do its work effectually, about lewt ol gypsum would be required for tvery ton ol farmyard manure; and furthermore, the use of gypsum is open to the ojection that some of it, as Mr Hhli points out in his valuable work un "Fertilisers and Manures," may become reduced to the f jrm of calcium sulphide, a tubttance injurious to plants. OIHEK METHODS. .

"A practice which does result in a reduction of the loss of nitrogen from the manure hear," says the "Gardening Chronicle," "consists io using a layer of old a r .d well-rotted manure as the bat is tor a new heap, and this simple and effective device should be followed by all gardeners who have to make manure heaps". From what has been written it follows that the abeence of that wasteful da;k brown liquid from the foot of the heap is to guarantee that loss of nitrogen is not occurring; for the nitrate washed from the Burt'ace into the depth of the heap may, and certainly will, undergo decompositoa, and thus give rise to nitrogen, which escapes into the air. Thi3 loss may be reduced if the heap be made thoroughly firm to protect the manute heap from rain, the escape of nitrogen from it may be checked almost entirely. There is roam for further experiment regarding the best means ot protecting the manure heap from rain —a protection which, as we have shown, is of the greatest importance." All who hsve visited Roseworthy Agricultural College have noted the method of treating the stable nnnure there. Fur ordinary conditions it is much to be commended. The manure is wheel .ni from the stables and stacked on a concrete floor which elopes into a pit, into which all the urine, etc., from the stables drains. Tras liquid is periodically pumped up, and, by means of piping, is distributed fairly evenly the whole of the stack through whnh it gradually descends. And excess poured in, of course, runs back into the pit. Necessarily, of course, there is a certain amount of los 9of nitrogen, but it is very tmall compared with that which occurs on the average farm.