MANURES, THEIR KINDS AKD USES. 



39 



Along the coast of Florida large quantities of fish offal 

 may be made available. 



NIGHT-SOIL. 



Like other animal manures, night-soil varies in efficacy 

 and composition in proportion to the richness of the food 

 from whence it was derived. It is more nutritive than the 

 dung of animals; but owing to the large quantity of water 

 with which it is diluted, and its offensiveness, it is diffi- 

 cult of transportation. 



In so far as nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash are 

 concerned, human excrements compare with the average 

 of excrements of horses, cows, sheep, and swine, as 

 shown in the following table :* 



One ton of the fresh, solid excrement, contains more 

 than twice as much nitrogen as a ton of fresh mixed 

 animal dung; the urine of man contains nine times as 

 much phosphoric acid as that of horses, etc., and proba- 

 bly nearly all the nitrogen is in available condition. 



Lawes and Gilbert found that an adult male voided in 

 the course of a year, fasces, ninety-five pounds; urine, 

 one thousand and forty-nine pounds, or one thousand 

 one hundred and forty-four pounds of excrement in the 

 pure state. 



* Harris's Talks on Manures. 



