SUBSTITUTES FOB FARMYARD MANURE

Evening Star, Issue 17697, 25 June 1921, Page 12

SUBSTITUTES FOB FARMYARD MANURE

It is increasingly evident that with the advent of motor traction and the diminished number of horses farmyard manure is now much more difficult to obtain than formerly. This applies more particularly to older countries that have larger populations, and where ground has been cropped extensively. Under conditions such as these a liberal use of organic manures is necessary to ensure a .crop, and something will have to bo found to take the place of farmyard manure. This is now engaging the attention of agricultural scientists. It is hoped that in the near future it will be possible, by mixing chemical manure with vegetable matter, such a dead leaves, straw, etc., in the right proportions, to be able to produce an almost perfect substitute for farmyard manure. It has been proved that while chemical manures applied in the right proportions can give marvellous results without exhausting the soil, they cannot toko the place of farmyard manure. This is due to the fact that farmyard manure consists of humus or vegetable matter in various stages of decay. This is of great importance to the soil owing to the fact that it retains moisture, makes soils dark and mellow, and prevents extremes in temperature. It also forms a medium for soil organisms to work in. Without vegetable matter the soil would become unable to retain plant food. Every gardener should make a point of collecting as many dead leaves as possible. Nature provides an enormous amount of humus in this way every year. These should bo allowed to rot in Urge

square heaps through tho winter and applied in spring. Another valuable substitute is bracken fronds; these have a high manorial value containing a largo amount of potash. Crops of potatoes, manured with bracken alone, have given as high a yield per aero as when farmyard manure was used, Green cropping, where possible, should be practised. _ A catch crop of mustard will grow quickly, and when it has reached a certain height is dug in. Where a crop is growing on the land plant food will not be washed out so easily as when the laud is bare. Few gardeners seem to realise the value of poultry droppings as a manure. _ As tho poultry industry is growing rapidly these should become easier to obtain. Owing to the fact that it is much stronger than farmyard manure it will, if not diluted, have a bad cited on a crop. In most cases it is improperly stored, and all tho ammonia allowed to escape. It is best mixed with twice its weight of earth and allowed to stand in a heap covered with a few inches of coil until decomposed throughout. Dried blood, soot, and shoddy are, nitrogenous manures Dried blood contains from 20 to 13 per cent, nitrogen. Font contains a. small amount of ammonia, and darkens the soil, and gives it greater power for absorbing heat. Shoddy should only bo bought when vcvv cheap. It is very variable in composition and decomposes slowly. Fish manure is a valuable fertiliser, but is not favored by gardeners owing to its objectionable odor. Sewerage manure is sold in a dry, portable form by some firms, and when on© considers tho enormous amount of plant food which passes down the sewers to the sea every clay ono realises that it is time scientist found a moans of making use of it. It will bo so#n that there is a wide choice of organic substitutes for farmyard manure” These substitutes must lie resorted to if the soil is not to suffer considerably in fertility.—‘ Popular Gardeu-