No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 435 



with manure, and in order to assist in an intelligent study of the 

 subject it will be well to consider briefly a few of the influencing fac- 

 tors. 



Different kinds of animals: Each species of domestic animal pro- 

 duces a manure of different quality and difterent physical properties. 

 Manure from cattle and swine contains a relatively high percentage 

 of water, does not ferment or heat rapidly, and hence is classed as a 

 cold manure. Horse aud sheep manure contain considerably less 

 moisture than that of cattle and swine, it ferments easily and is 

 classed as a hot or quick manure. In composition the manure from 

 horses and swine is somewhat richer in nitrogenous materials than 

 is that from cattle, while sheep manure usually contains a higher 

 percentage of both nitrogen and jjotash than do any of the others. 



Effect of the ration: The total value of the manure produced by 

 a given number of animals is largely dependent on the quantity and 

 quality of the food consumed. From 50 to 90 per cent, of the 

 fertilizing elements in the food is found in the excrement of the ani 

 mals, depending on their age and use, hence the composition of the 

 food determines in large measure the composition of the manure. 

 Foods rich in nitrogen and mineral matter will produce manure rich 

 in the same constituents, while foods poor in fertilizing elements 

 will produce manure of corresponding poor quality. For example — 

 animals receiving a ration consisting only of roots, straw, timothy 

 ha.y and corn stover will produce manure of relatively low quality, 

 whereas such materials as clover and alfalfa hay, cotton seed meal, 

 oil meal, bran, corn and oats chop, etc., Avould produce manure of 

 much higher value. 



The kind and amount of material used for bedding also influence 

 the composition of the manure. It is probable that straw is the 

 material most universally used as bedding material and it answers 

 the purpose very well. It is cheap and abundant, and while it is low 

 in the elements of fertility it is probably one of the most desirable 

 materials to use for this purpose. 



Care of manure: After having produced the manure the next 

 thing is to properly care for it; and the first essential in this direc- 

 tion is to provide a water tight floor in our stalls, and covered 

 manure sheds. 



A few years ago the Ohio Station conducted some experiments 

 in the production of manure, by feeding two lots of steers; one lot 

 being kept in box stalls with cement floor and the other lot kept in 

 similar stalls having only an ordinary earth floor; the object being 

 to compare the value of the manure produced on the different floors. 

 With the exception of the two kinds- of floors all the conditions were 

 identical. The steers were fed for a period of six months when it was 

 found that the total value of the manure produced per thousand 

 pound steer on the cement floor was worth S2.25 more than was the 

 manure from a similar steer fed on the earth floor. The experiment 

 showed further that there was an actual loss of six pounds of manure 

 per head per day on the earth floor as compared with that collected 

 from the cement floor. This amounted to half a ton per steer, or 

 fifteen tons for the thirty steers for the six months of the test. 

 Taking the average analysis of the liquid excrement from this sort 

 of animal and figuring this on the basis of fifteen cents per pound 

 for nitrogen and six cents ]>er pound for potash, we find that we have 

 lost over sixty-five dollars worth of fertilizer; and a better fertilizer. 



