72 PRACTICAL FARM CHEMISTRY. 



age of nitrogen, and perhaps also of phosphoric acid, 

 but a smaller one of potash. On the whole we will 

 not be far out of the way, if we concede to all these 

 manures, when fresh, about an equal money value, 

 ton for ton. Dry straw also differs but little from 

 fresh manure in composition and fertilizing value. 

 If used freely for bedding, and soaked through with 

 urine, it will not lessen the value of the manure. 

 Clear water adds to the weight, but nothing of fer- 

 tilizing value, while urine adds also to the stock of 

 nitrogen and phosphoric acid. 



A heap of stable manure contains at no time a 

 greater amount of plant foods than when first made. 

 Nothing, so far as real fertilizing value is concerned, 

 can be gained by storing or composting the manure. 

 You may get it finer, and in better shape for more 

 immediate use by the plants, but you do not add a 

 particle of value to it by composting. If we wish 

 to make use of every pound of plant food contained 

 in the fresh stable manure, we must draw it to the 

 fields as fast as made, and spread it at once. 



In a series of experiments made at the Cornell 

 University Experiment Station in 1889, it was found 

 that horse manure, having been left outdoors in a 

 loose pile for six months, had at the end of that 

 time not only lost thirty per cent in weight, but 

 that the resulting compost was reduced to the fol- 

 lowing amount of plant foods per ton, viz.: 



9 pounds nitrogen @, 17 cents, - - - $1.53 



8 " phosphoric acid @ 7 cents, - - 21 



6 " potash @ 4 cents, ... 24 



Total, - - - - - $1.98 



The greatest loss through fermentation and leach- 

 ing, we see, is in the potash, and next in phosphoric 



