204 HANDY-BOOK OF HUSBANDRY. 



The fleece of a sheep contains much that would be valuable In 

 the dung-heap. 



The manure of poultry is less valuable in proportion to the 

 quantity of the food that is contained in the eggs laid. 



In short, every product of the animals of the farm, whether it 

 be labor, meat, bone, milk, eggs, wool, or progeny, takes away 

 from the value of the manure, and in proportion as these are sold 

 away, in just that proportion will the manure of the farm be less 

 valuable. 



Probably the least amount of fertilizing matter is removed where 

 only butter is sold ; — next in order would be the fattening of full- 

 grown animals. 



As the more valuable part of manure consists of unassimilated 

 food, of course its composition must depend directly on the char- 

 acter of the food. 



Grain, which is rich in nitrogen and the phosphates, yields 

 manure relatively rich in these substances. 



Cotton-seed meal, and oil (linseed) meal, being the residuum 

 after the pressing out of the oil from seeds — none of the nitrogdn 

 nor of the phosphates having accompanied the oil — make richer 

 manure than other grains. 



Hay makes better manure than straw. These differences will be 

 more precisely shown from the analysis of the different sorts of 

 food, in another chapter. 



Of course, it is not to be expected that the farmer will watch 

 the character of his cattle food and the condition of his animals 

 for the purpose of ascertaining, minutely, the quality of his dung- 

 heaps. He should, however, keep a very close watch over the 

 exports and imports of his farm, and be careful that the balance 

 of trade is not against him. 



If he sells away lOO lbs. of potash, he should buy back, in gram, 

 or green sand marl, or wood ashes, or stable manure, or in some 

 way, another lOO lbs. to take its place; — and so with all of the more 

 valuable earthy constituents of produce sold. If this is not done, 

 there will follow — now or later — a deterioration of the soil. If 

 it will not pay to replace the lost matter now, of course it will 



