144 SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



Per cent, of 

 water absorbed. 



Fine cut straw 30.0 



Coarse uncut straw 18.0 



Peat 60.0 



Sawdust 45 .0 



The proportion of absorbents in manure ranges from 

 a fifth to a third of the total weight of the manure. 



175. Use of Peat and Muck as Absorbents. — On 



account of the high per cent, of nitrogen in peat and 

 the power which it possesses when dry of absorbing 

 water, it is a valuable material to use as an absorbent 

 in stables. As previously explained, peat is slow of 

 decomposition, but when mixed with the liquid ma- 

 nure it readily yields to fermentation, particularly if a 

 little land plaster or marl be used in the stable along 

 with the peat. Peat has a high absorptive power for 

 gases as well as liquids, and when used stables are ren- 

 dered particularly free from foul odors. 

 RELATION OF FOOD CONSUMED TO MANURE PRODUCED 



176. Bulky and Concentrated Foods. — The more 

 concentrated and digestible the food consumed, the 

 more valuable is the manure. Coarse bulky fodders 

 always give a large amount of a poor quality of ma- 

 nure. For example, the manure from animals fed on 

 timothy hay and that from animals fed on clover hay 

 and grain, show a wide difference in composition. 

 The dry matter of timothy hay is about 55 per cent, 

 digestible. From a ton of timothy hay there will be 



