OF AGRICULTURE 233 



First, let us take up cow manure. Although not 

 as rich as other animal manures, yet it acts very 

 beneficially on all soils. According to the analysis of 

 "Dana," a cow forms daily about thirteen pounds of 

 undecayed vegetable matter, three ounces phosphate 

 of lime, two ounces of plaster of paris and two ounces 

 carbonate of lime; or in. one year four thousand 

 eight hundred pounds of vegetable matter, seventy-one 

 pounds of bone-dust, forty-seven pounds of lime, 

 forty-seven pounds of plaster, twenty-five pounds of 

 common salt, and fifteen pounds of sulphate of pot- 

 ash. But from the decay, four thousand eight hund- 

 red of well masticated vegetable matter, there is 

 evolved about one hundred and seventy -nine pounds 

 of ammonia, if it is carefully preserved. It is evident, 

 then, that the cow is a great manufacturer of humus, 

 salts and ammonia. The main value of the cow 

 manure depends upon its vegetable matter and 

 ammonia; the other salts are valuable, for they are 

 in such a condition as to be readily taken up by 

 plants. Ammonia in dung is that organic body to 

 which is to be attributed its chief enriching quality. 

 The humus or mold, ammonia and salts, each act; the 

 acid in the mold acts upon the salts, such as lime, 

 potash, soda, etc., alread} 7 in the soil, and also absorbs 

 ammonia from the air, and forms carbonic acid in its 

 decay. The ammonia acts upon the silicates in the 

 soil, the salts act in a similar manner, and also some- 

 times neutralize the injurious acids in the soil. 



Stable or horse manure is highly valued by farmers, 

 and for good reasons it is a powerful fertilizer. But 

 the readiness with which it undergoes fermentation, 

 and sends off ammonia, makes it necessary to exer- 



