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Show CONSERVATION of MANURE 'v IV S. Hakkis, Director Itah Agricultural Experiment Station.) Probably there is no conservation conserva-tion movement either as I war me.isiinre or during peace that is capable of yielding greater returns than the conservation of farm manure. The value of this material mater-ial produced on the farms of Utah each year runs into the millions of dollars when hased on the amount necessary to pay for the same elements ele-ments purchased as commercial fertilizers. As an average of a six years test at the Utih Experiment Experi-ment Station, manure supplied to Corn at the rate of five tons to the acre each year, gave an increased yield of corn worth $3.57 for each ton of manure applied. This leaves no doubt that it pays to manure Utah land. Experiments1 have shown that when manure is hauled in the ordinary or-dinary careless manner at least half of its value is lost. Think what this means when converted into com, wheat and other food crops, The losses in manuro occur in two ways: from the leaching and from fermentation. The valuable part of the manure is soluble in water and is readily washed out by rain, leaving the coars material which contain! very little plant food. Leaching can be prevented by Covering the manure or piling it in siuli a way that the rains are not able to wash down through it. The destructive fermentation is caused by bacteria and fungi which break down the valuable nitrogen compound and cause the manure to heat thereby rendering it almost valueless. These destructive organisms grOW best in a manure pile that is loose and rather dry. For this reason rea-son horse manure, which is usually loose and dry, heats more readily than other kinds. A number of desirable kinds of organisms are also found in manure. man-ure. These grow best where air is not too abundant and where there is plenty of moisture. This makes it clear that manure should be kept I moist and compart. If he pile be-I be-I gins to heat it should haye water I thrown on it and tramped. The question of whether it will pay to build a cement manure pit must be decided by each farmer j for his own conditions. Certainly 'such a pit is desirable, but the ex- tpense will place ii beyond the reach I of some farmers. If manure is put in piles higher around the edges than in the middle, and of such a shape that the rain does not leach 'out the plant food, practically all of the fertilizing material can be retained without a pit or shed. Provision should be made for saving the liquid, as it is just as valuable pound for pound as the solid If a pit is not available, it is necessary to use considerable bedding or absorbing material. The best way to handle manure is to haul it out and spread it over the land the day it is made. If this is not practical it should be stored in a compact and moist pile in such a way that leaching cannot take place. |