VALUE OF STABLE MANURE. 73 



acid, while that in nitrogen (contrary to the old 

 "escaping ammonia" theory) is comparatively slight. 

 The compost, after all these losses, is still worth 

 about two dollars, and therefore about twenty per 

 cent less, ton for ton, than the fresh manure. The 

 advantage of compost over the fresh manure, namely 

 its fine mechanical condition, and perhaps the 

 greater availability of its plant foods, has already 

 been mentioned. 



In deciding about the price which the user can 

 afford to pay for any given sample of stable manure, 

 he will have plenty of opportunity for the exercise 

 of good judgment. Not only the quality and value 

 of the manure itself, but also the cost of hauling 

 must be taken in consideration. If it costs us one 

 dollar to haul a ton from place of purchase to the 

 field, we must not pay more than the figure repre- 

 senting its true value less the dollar. 



In making estimates of the manurial values of 

 stable manures, we may take fresh manure from 

 well-fed horses or cows, consisting of dry excrement 

 and urine-soaked litter, as a standard for com- 

 parison. A ton of such manure is worth, at current 

 rates of plant food materials, in the vicinity of $2.50, 

 and even more when compared with prices of our 

 commercial concentrated fertilizers. The higher the 

 animals were fed — with grain, bran, oil meal, etc. — 

 the more valuable is the manure. Animals that are 

 merely "wintered" — ^just kept alive on a straw diet 

 — give manure of much less value than animals that 

 are being fattened or forced. Straw soaked full of 

 rain or snow water, has probably not over one-half 

 of the fertilizing value of good manure. 



A ton of compost from manure exposed in a loose 

 pile to the elements for months, which in its fresh 



