Show artificial AND BARNYARD MANURES r compost tion and valuation stated by a the functions function of maun manures na briefly L stated by a professor of the university of north wales who has conducted extensive roa experiments aro are 1 lu in many caw cawi i th tap impre improvement of the mechanical and physical condition and the texture of the soil to which tho the manures are applied thus limo lime when applied to sour land mccoin poses and therefore renders harmless the sour organic acids whose presence 4 in tho the sail wil is the cause of the sour or acid id cona lilon of the land lana when farn iyar manure is applied to land the to gesture t and physical c condition of the soi soil ix s much im improves provet by the organic matter of which this manuro manure is largely coin coni posed 2 in many cases manures act on plant food already present in the soil and convert this plant food into snob such a condition that it can be absorbed by the roots of plants the manorial value of lime is due principally to the action of this manure on the food of plants already present in the soil 3 the most important function of manures is to supply plant food necessary tor for the growth of crops which is deficient in the boil soil the necessary constituents of plant food that are generally deficient nt in soils are nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash nitrogen occurs in manures as nitrates e g nitrates of soda ammonia salts e g sulphate of ammonia organic nitrogen 0 g dried blood nitrogen as nitrates is immediately available as plant food nitrogen aa as ammonia salts soon becomes available nitrogen as organic nitrogen is much more slowly available phosphoric acid combined with lime is generally present in ili manures as insoluble phosphate of lime e g bone meal and basic slag soluble phosphate of lime 0 g super phosphates insoluble phosphate of lime is converted into soluble or by treating it with sulp sulphuric hurie acid soluble phosphate pho are generally moro more active than insoluble phosphates in promoting plant growth potash is the valuable ingredient in kainik and furiato toof of potash potash has generally a better effect on light than on heavy soils and nitrate of soda should not bo be mixed or if it mixed must be sown sawn immediately this also appl applies ies to the mixing of basic a slag lag and sulphate of ammonia artificial manures should bo be purchased on a guaranteed analysis and the source from which the fertilizing ingredients of the manure are derived should bo be stated this precaution is especially ally necessary in purchasing bone or mixed manures the percentage of nitrogen should bo be stated in its equivalent of ammonia that of insoluble 6 phosphoric acid as phosphate of lime soluble phosphoric acid as phosphate of lime and that of potash salts in their equivalent of potash artificial manures are valued according to the quantities of nitrogen soluble phosphate of lime insoluble phosphate of lime and potash they contain farmyard manure contains all the ingredients of plant food this manure is exceedingly variable in quality as the quality varies with the nature 0 of f the food given to the animal the nature and amount of the litter used the method by which the manure is produced and its treatment from the time of production until it is applied to the land |