TREATING MANURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16627, 21 April 1928, Page 9

TREATING MANURE

A NEW METHOD The word “cdcliriist" will convoy nothing whatever to New Zealand farmers, but in Germany .it; has become widely, known as a method, of treating farmyard manure and gettingvery much greater benefits than under old systems.. The practice of making “edeimist" 'is steadily spreading, amt is already catching ou in England, and a few points connected with it should be of general interest, more especially as it is bound to be subjected to trials in tho Dominion before' very long. Tho charaeteristic of ‘ ‘ odehnist»' that, distinguishes it from other farmyard -manure is that it is encouraged to undergo an active fermentation during the early stages of its preparation. It is first of all piled up in shallow layers, thus ensuring that it is well aerated and permitting of intense

fermentative activity on the part of micro-organisms present. Asj a result of the Hvprlt of these organisms . the temperature of the heap rises rapidly. When tho temperature reaches about 150 degrees Fall, the heap is thoroughly compacted by tramping, covered with a layer of fresh dung and allowed to remain untouched for three or four months.

The principal advantage of the new system is that it makes immediately available certain mammal constituents which are not available in ordinary farmyard manure, and thus has. a very much greater effect on the soil than the average manure. It is rich in nitrogen and is thus n most useful manure lor application in a system oi grassland farming such an is so largely practised in the Dominion.