48 Market Gardening. 



now generally practised will doubtless soon come into 

 use. In applying it directly to the soil amongst grow- 

 ing plants it requires, as already said, to be greatly 

 diluted. Small amounts pumped at intervals over the - 

 compost heap promote fermentation. 



In purchasing manure, preference should be given to 

 that of grain-fed animals. The value of all animal 

 excrement depends more on the character of the food 

 consumed than on the kind of animal. But it is con- 

 venient to know the average composition of the solid 

 droppings of different animals, and the following data ^ 

 have recently appeared in the Gardener's Monthly. 

 The excrement standing highest in value is sheep dung 

 (this not being obtainable in our vicinity, we give its 

 analysis merely for comparison). It contains in 100 

 parts, of water, 68.71; azotized matter, 23.16; saline, 

 8.13. Horse manure consists of water, 75.31; geine, 

 or organic matter, 20.67 ; salts, 4.02. (The geine is 

 composed of — carbon, 9.56 ; hydrogen, 1.26; oxygen, 

 9.31 ; and nitrogen 0.54.) Cow manure contains, geine, 

 15.45 ; salts, 0.95 ; water, 83.60. Contrary to tne gen- 

 eral idea, that of the horse outranks that of the cow. 



The list of materials available to the gardener and 

 cultivator for enriching the soil comprises the fol- 

 lowing principal items : the animal manures (like those 

 whose analysis has been given), fish, bones of animals, 

 lime, gypsum, wood ashes, common salt, soot, peat- 

 earth, seaweeds, malt dust, rape-cake and linseed- 

 cake, green succulent plants, and commercial fertilizers. 

 Much has recently been added to the stock of gen- 

 eral information on the nature and action of manures. 



