198 THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



The excrements of animals, both solid and liquid, with 

 the litter used in stables, is the main supply of the farmer 

 for the feeding of his crops. These vary in character, but 

 not as is commonly supposed as the animals themselves dif- 

 fer, but on the contrary, us the kind of food varies. Horse 

 manure is considered the best of this class, but it is because 

 horses are fed chiefly upon grain and hay; in like manner 

 the manure of sheep, cows, and pigs, varies in quality as 

 these animals are fed upon grass, straw, or grain. 



The liquid excrement of animals the urine, so called be- 

 cause of the large quantity of urea contained in it is richer 

 in the valuable elements of plant food than the solid drop- 

 pings. Urine contains a large quantity of water, thus in 

 1000 parts, 



, , Organic Inorganic 



Water. matter. matter. 



Human urine contains 969 23.4 7.6 



Horses " " 940 27.0 33.0 



Cows " " 930 50.0 20.0 



Pigs " " 926 56.0 18.0 



Sheep " " 960 28.0 12.0 



The urine is the most important and valuable of all nat- 

 ural liquid manures, and instead of being wasted and made 

 a source of offense to the sensitive membranes of man and 

 animals by reason of the pungent ammoniacal vapors evolved 

 from it, it deserves to be most carefully saved and preserved 

 for use in fertilizing the soil and in feeding crops. The 

 need for this is shown in the following figures, which give 

 the amount of the most valuable elements of plant food, 

 contained in it. 



COMPOSITION OF URINE IN 1000 PARTS. 



Of Man. Horse. Cow. Sheep. Pig. 



Water 933.0 940.0 926.2 960.0 926.0 



Urea.... 80.1* 



33.0 31.8 12.0 IS.tt 



. . r 27.0 40.0 28.0 56.0> 



Uric acid 1.0 



Mucus and other matter 17.4' . 2.0 



Sulphate of potash 3.7 



Sulphate of soda 3.2 



Phosphate of soda 2.9 



Phosphate of ammonia 1.6 



Chloride of sodium 4.5 



Nitrate of ammonia 1.5 



Various phosphates 1.1 



1000.0 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 



