112 OF FERTILIZERS. 



371. Animal Manures. They are more powerful than 

 vegetable or mixed manures, on account of the great 

 quantity of nitrogen which they contain, and the impor 

 tant salts which exist in them. The nitrogen unites with 

 hydrogen, and forms ammonia, and this the ammoniacal 

 salts. These dissolve other mineral substances, and are 

 absorbed by water, which carries them down to the roots 

 of plants. The more abundant these elements of plant 

 food are, the more rapidly will they enter into plants, and 

 the surer and more abundant will be the crops. The 

 more completely the soil has been mixed and pulverized, 

 the more readily will the roots reach their supply of food. 



372. The flesh of quadrupeds, fishes and other dead 

 animals, contains about 50 per cent, of carbon, and from 

 13 to 17 of nitrogen, besides water, salts of potash and 

 soda, of lime and of magnesia, and is therefore one of 

 the very best manures that can be. 



These substances, and all offal and animal refuse, should 

 never be applied directly to the soil, but made into a com 

 post. 



373. The best way of disposing of the carcass of a dead 

 animal is to place it in a hole one or two feet deep, 

 sprinkle an abundance of quick-lime upon it, then throw 

 on a layer of earth, then a layer of plaster, then a layer 

 of earth mixed with powdered copperas, and then a suffi 

 cient depth of earth. The plaster and copperas absorb 

 the ammonia and sulphuretted hydrogen, as they are 

 formed, and prevent all unpleasant effluvia. 



In a few weeks, the heap maybe opened, the bones sep 

 arated, to be used in bone manure, and the remaining 

 mass turned over and mixed, if necessnry, with additional 

 earth. This, ivpe;ite&amp;lt;| once or twice, will make the sub 

 stance retuly for use. {Xunmnuly.) The body of a dead 



