MIXING MANURES

Shannon News, 29 March 1927, Page 1

MIXING MANURES

CONSERVING THE INGREDIENTS A FEW PRECAUTIONS. Practically all fertilisers may be applied to the same soil at about the same time. Probably most farmers know this; but not every fertiliser may be mixed with any other fertiliser, particularly if the mixture Is not to be utilised at once. If no attention is paid to the technical properties of the fertilising materials it is proposed to mix, there may be loss of one or more ingredient, or their properties may be altered to such an extent as to materially reduce the | value of the mixture. For example superphosphate mixed with lime would result in the conversion of the water soluble phosphates in the superphosphates into a form insoluble in water, and' thus the speedy action of the first named material would be lessened. Cases have occured, even amonjj commercially mixed compound fertilisers, where the mixture has been made apparently without regard to subsequent interaction between the constituents; and, therefore, as many agriculturists nowadays make up on the premises their fertiliser mixtures to suit their own soils and the crops intended to be grown, a few words of warning may not be out of place. Although they may both be applied to the same land, lime should never be mixed with ordinary sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate, dissolved bone, guano, or farmyard manure; neither should basic slag nor cyanide and lime be mixed with any of these five materials. Provided, however, the mixture is to be used immediately, basic slag, cyanide and' lime may be added to kainite or potash salts; while nitrate of soda and nitrate of lime may be added to dissolved bones of of superphosphates. Apart from the foregoing, any fertiliser may be mixed with any other fertilisers without any precautions, arid the will keep for a fair period without -losing-4ts-«ffeetiveriess. -