New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 75 



(1) The kind and age of the animal producing it. 



(2) The quantity and quality of the food eaten. 



(3) The character and amount of material used for litter. 



(4) The length of time the manure has been kept. 



(5) The manner in which it has been cared for. 



Influence of Kind of Animal on Manure. — Horse Manure 

 is ditiicult to mix thoroughly with litter on account of its being 

 very dry. It is called a " hot " manure, because, on account of its 

 loose texture, it easily undergoes decomposition or fermentation, 

 producing a high degree of heat. On this account it is very liable 

 to lose more or less of its nitrogen in the form of ammonia. It 

 should have very careful treatment in respect to the litter used and 

 also in the application of preservatives. Horses are usually fed with 

 greater uniformity in respect to character of food than other farm 

 animals and there is, therefore, greater uniformity in the composition 

 of horse manure. The urine of horses is particularly rich in nitro- 

 gen and potash. 



Sheep Manure is quite dry and is commonly the richest of farm- 

 produced manures. Like horse manure, it undergoes fermentation 

 easily and is classed as a "hot" manure. It is similarly very liable 

 to lose ammonia. 



Pig Manure varies greatly in composition, but is generally rich, 

 containing considerable water. In decomposing, it produces little 

 heat and is, therefore, called a " cold " manure. 



Coio Manure contains as a rule, less fertilizing materials than 

 any of the preceding manures. It contains a large amount of 

 water, and, in decomposing, generates little heat. 



Poultry Manure contains a comparatively large amount of all 

 the different forms of plant-food, being especially rich in nitrogen 

 and potash. It undergoes fermentation readily and loses nitrogen 

 unless properly treated with absorbents or preservatives. 



Influence of Age of Animal on Manure. — A young, growing 

 animal requires and retains in its body a greater quantity of nitro- 

 gen, potash, and phosphoric acid compounds than does a grown 

 animal. Therefore, manure from a young animal is of less value 

 than that from a mature one. Full-grown animals, not varying in 

 weight, excrete essentially all the fertilizing constitutents taken 

 into the body in the food. In the case of growing animals and cows 

 in milk, from 50 to 75 per cent, of the fertilizing constituents of 



