ANALYSIS OF MANURES. 361 



M. PERROT'S. 



Water ^^'^S 



Bitter matter '74 



Sweet substance '93 



Chrophyle '^f 



Albumen '"3 



Muriate of soda *08 



Sulphate of potash '05 



Sulphate of lime '25 



Carbonate of lime '24 



Phosphate of lime '^^ 



Carbonate of iron *09 



Woody fibre 26-39 



Silica -14 



Loss '14 



*100-00 



With these discrepancies before us, how can it be expected 

 that we, the uninitiated in the mysteries of chemistry, can 

 arrive at any conclusion as to the value of cow-dung as ma- 

 nure ? The amount of water in cow-dung is very large, and it 

 is said to be the least valuable of animal manures, although 

 used as a standard, much in the same way as copper coin 

 might be used as a standard for the value of the better metals ; 

 but nothing could be more uncertain than cow-dung, in conse- 

 quence of its large quantity of water, because, if exposed, it 

 would not be of the same value two days together. The water 

 would evaporate; consequently dried cow-dung, having lost 

 the greater part of its water, would become a much more 

 valuable manure. The author of the " Muck Manual " says, 

 that, without violence to chemistry, the composition of cow- 

 dung may be stated as follows : — 



Geine 15-45 



Salts -95 



Water 83-60 



100-00 



* This is as it appears in prink ; but it is wrongly added, because the 

 sum is 99-80. However, this affects not our objection to the strange 

 want of uniformity in the terms of the vai'ious results. 



