270 FERTILIZERS. 



The urine of cows may be supposed to vary with their food. According to Sprengk-, 1000 

 parts contain 926 • 2 of water, the remainder consists of, 



Urea, 4000 



Mucus 200 



Suppuric and lactic acids, 6 * 10 



Carbonic acid 2*10 



Ammonia, 2*10 



Potash, 6-60 



Soda 5-60 



Sulphuric acid, 4-00 



Phosphoric acid, 0*70 



Chlorine 270 



Lime * 60 



Magnesia 0*40 



Silica, 0-40 



Manganese, iron, etc 0* 10 



100-00 



The urea is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. In fermentation this sub- 

 stance is converted into ammonia and carbonic acid ; hence, this valuable matter is dissipated 

 and lost in the chemical changes which this fertilizer undergoes, unless it is mixed with some 

 absorbent, like gypsum, marl or peat. 



There are undoubtedly greater losses sustained in this country by neglecting the liquid ex- 

 crements of animals than by any other parts : but since the attention of farmers has been di- 

 rected strongly to this subject, and since, too, the examples of our neighbors in Europe regard 

 them as their most important fertilizers, they are generally taking measures which are more or 

 less effective for preserving them for use. It is indeed a very simple process, requiring only 

 absorbent bodies, which are vrithin the reach of almost every farmer, as peat, muck and plaster 

 or marl and charcoal, or mixtures of all of them ; or else tanks, so constructed as to receive 

 them directly and to which a little sulphuric acid might be added, by which sulphate of am- 

 monia may be formed, which will fix the most volatile part. The view which economical 

 writers have taken of the subject is undoubtedly the correct one, viz. that their waste and loss 

 is equivalent to the waste and loss of a certain amount of corn and meat, or if the farmer resorts 

 unnecessarily to the purchase of guano to supply those wastes, it is equivalent to the purchase 

 of his com and meat. How often is the farmer reminded that all the mineral ingredients 

 of the food of his family and his stock, is derived directly from the soil, and that the soil can 

 not, from the nature of its composition, remain long fertile, unless these fertilizers are restored 

 •to it. 



