To secure satisfactory composting of stable manures in a pit it is necessary to be able to regulate the moisture of the mass.  If it becomes too dry, too rapid fermentation takes place and the material is destroyed by what is called fire-fanging.  If too much liquid enters the pit, so that the material is submerged, the air is excluded and fermentation stops.  For these reasons it is necessary that a pit in the region of large rainfall be covered, and water be used from a hose or other source of supply in just sufficient quantity to keep the material right for slow fermentation.  How much water should be added to bring the moisture to a right condition depends upon how much liquid waste runs into the pit, and where water is used for cleaning a stable care has to be taken that the pit is not submerged.  Success with a pit is, therefore, conditioned on the amount of moisture admitted, and this cannot be controlled unless the pit has a cover fit to shed rainfall.  Of course, it may be adjustable so that some rainfall may be admitted as may be desirable.

Value of Animals in Manure.

In the operation of our fruit and dairy ranch we have the manure from some forty head of horses and cattle, which is distributed over the place.  We cut our alfalfa and feed it and do very little pasturing.  In order to give our dairy the proper credit, we would kindly ask what you consider a fair price for the manure of a cow for one year.  Also what would the manure from a horse for one year be worth?

A compilation of a considerable number of weighings, analyses and valuations in Europe, cited by Prof.  Roberts in his book on the “Fertility of the Land,” gives an average value of the voidings of a cow for a year as $32.25 and of a horse at $24.06.  This is based, of course, upon the collection and saving of all excrements which is never secured except in careful experimentation.  The value of manure depends upon the quality of the feed.  In two experiments, considered a safe substitute for the straw, apart from the fact that the gave a value in manure of $1 per ton of hay fed; cows fed on clover and bran gave value in manure of 3.80 per ton of mixed feed.  Your alfalfa feeding would approach the higher value.  You will have to make an estimate from the above data to serve your purpose and you can figure it either by the number of animals or by the tonnage of the feed.

Value of Fresh and Dry Manure.

What is the relative value of the weekly or semi-weekly corral scrapings which are tramped fine and air-dried; and of the fresh, wet manure from the stable?  I do not understand that the latter has appreciable water added, and the amount of sand in the corral scrapings would be small.

Fresh, mixed animal manure is usually calculated to contain about 75 per cent of water.  Manure which has been quickly dried, without fermentation and without leaching by rains, may be worth four or five times as much per ton.  Nothing, however, short of analysis would determine the value of any particular lot, for that depends somewhat upon the way the animals are fed, as well as upon the moisture content.