LIQUID MANURE. 195 



organic substances. It is very valuable upon sandy 

 soils, where its direct application is not attended 

 with those injurious results which sometimes follow 

 it upon heavy land. It stimulates the plant to pro- 

 duce an abundance of roots, as well as branches, 

 and thus binds the soil together, making it more 

 fertile for the succeeding crop. The urine of all 

 animals is too valuable to be thrown away, as is 

 the foolish practice of many farmers. It is partic- 

 ularly important to those who rely for their manure 

 upon animals which work hard, as with such the 

 liquid manure increases while the solid excrement 

 decreases in value. Urine is very rich in nitrogen, 

 which is supposed to be particularly valuable to 

 grain crops, and would be necessary to a certain 

 extent with orchards to sustain the draft which the 

 seeds of the fruit make upon it. The application of 

 liquid manure has been found to bake the earth, 

 and prevent the free action of the air among its 

 particles. This is easily overcome, while its good 

 qualities are still retained, by so placing loam or 

 some other porous material as to absorb it as it 

 runs to the cellar from the animal. 



The loss of the liquid manure of our animals is 

 a most deplorable evil in the husbandry of our 

 country, as it contains much more of those organic 

 substances which are so valuable to vegetation 

 than does the solid excrement. There are at least 

 twenty millions of horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs 



