The Pbodtjction of Manure. 



177 



It will be noticed that the voidings recovered in these experiments 

 are comparatively rich in nitrogen and poor in phosphoric acid and 

 potash. This is true not only of the average but also of each individual 

 experiment. In trials Nos. 1 and 2 where the aim was to feed as 

 nearly as possible a maintenance ration the proportion of nitrogen to 

 phosphoric acid and potash does not differ materially from the propor- 

 tion of these ingredients recovered in experiments where the sheep were 

 fed all the grain they would eat as was the case in experiments Nos. 3, 

 4 and 5. 



The average value of the excrement recovered, per 1,000 pounds of 

 live weight of animal per day, which is a little over seven cents, faii'ly 

 represents the value of the excrement from a large flock of sheep where 

 a portion of them are fattening animals. It is true that during some 

 of the experiments the sheep were fed a heavy grain ration, but in 

 others they were fed a light ration of carbonaceous grain. The aver- 

 age ought to represent fairly well the excrement from flocks fed clover 

 hay and a fair grain ration. 



As the amount of water drank and the food consumed varied greatly 

 in this series of experiments, it will be of interest to notice by compari- 

 son the relation of the amount of water drank to the dry matter con- 

 sumed in the food, and also the relation of the water drank to the nitro- 

 gen consumed. The following table gives the dry matter, nitrogen and 

 water consumed in each experiment: 



Consumed Pep 1,000 Pounds of Live Weight of Animal 



Per Day. 



Quite contrary to a somewhat popular idea of stock feeders, that the 

 amount of water consumed is controlled to a great extent by the 

 amount of dry matter in the food, the facts brought out by these 

 experiments show quite conclusively that the water consumption is gov- 



23 



