202 THE CULTUKE OF FARM CROPS. 



Poultry manure is considered to be a valuable fertilizer, 

 and is in fact richer in useful plant food than any other 

 kind of manure from farm animals; but it is not nearly so 

 rich in this respect as is generally believed. Its composi- 

 tion is as follows: 



ANALYSIS OF HEN MANURE. 



The cause of its higher value than that of ordinary farm 

 manure, is, that it contains the solid and liquid evacuations 

 together; these being expelled together by birds; hence the 

 urine is intimately mixed with the solid excrement. The 

 grain, and animal food in the form of insects, consumed by 

 poultry, tend to give the manure a high value. It is how- 

 ever but little, if any, more valuable as a fertilizer than 

 equally dry manure from well fed horses or sheep. Its con- 

 centrated composition enables it to be used with advantage 

 in the common form of compost, with plaster and wood 

 ashes; in which it is very often applied to corn, cabbage, 

 and garden crops. It is however too valuable to be neg- 

 lected as it frequently is, and might be saved and used with 

 profit in the above named compost and as top dressing for 

 grain crops in the spring, for which its soluble character, 

 and its pulverized condition, make it both useful and con- 

 venient. 



