36 FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER HINTS 



fattening sheep and fattening sheep less than fattening oxen. 

 Horses return the same relative amounts from the feed whether 

 at work or at rest/'' 



3. The Kind and Amount of Bedding Used. — Bedding besides 

 affecting the value of manure renders stables more sanitary. It 

 provides comfort for the animal, makes the manure lighter and 

 easier to handle, absorbs the liquids, lessens fermentation and 

 improves the texture of the manure. 



Straw is the most common bedding used and is well suited for 

 this purpose, because it is largely made up of cellulose which is 

 a good absorber on account of its hollow structure.* There is 

 a difference in the composition of straws, but they all contain 

 a high potash content. The nitrogen and phosphoric acid are 

 rather low and when large amounts of straw are employed the 

 fertilizing value of the manure is naturally lowered. 



Leaves. — Dried autumn leaves are often gathered and used as 

 bedding. They are not as valuable as straw as they do not fer- 

 ment very rapidly and are liable to cause acidity in the manure. 



Sawdust is often used as bedding and it is much inferior to 

 straw and dried leaves from a fertility standpoint. It decom- 

 poses very slowly in the soil. However, this material is a good 

 absorber of the liquid portions and makes a good bedding when 

 it can be obtained cheaply. 



Shavings are sometimes used as bedding and possess about the 

 same properties as sawdust. 



Peat when dried is a good material to use in stables as it is 

 an excellent absorber. It absorbs not only the liquid portions of 

 the manure but also the nitrogen gases evolved, and renders the 

 stable free from foul odor. It in itself contains considerable 

 organic matter which is beneficial and it is readily fermented in 

 the soil. It is a good material to use in conjunction with straw. 

 The use of peat as bedding increases the nitrogen content of the 

 manure. The nitrogen percentage in peat varies a great deal but 

 it usually approximates i to 1.5 per cent. 



Absorptive Power of Bedding. — According to Snyder,^ the ab- 

 sorptive power of different kinds of bedding are: 



* Soils and Fertilizers. 



