THE LITTER 



211 



genous matter and salts received into the circulation 

 from the organs of digestion. The quantity of dry 

 matter in the solid excrement of an animal may be 

 calculated from the digestion coefficient of the dry 

 matter in the food. The quantity of dry matter in 

 the urine is, according to Wolff, about 6 per cent, of 

 the dry food consumed. 



The mixed excrements of pigs, and those of cattle, 

 are far more watery than those of sheep and horses ; a 

 larger proportion of litter has, therefore, to be used for 

 the first-named animals. An ox of 1,000 lbs. weight 

 will furnish, according to Wolff, about 86 lbs. daily of 

 fresh manure (including litter), and a horse of the same 

 weight 53 lbs. Manure freshly made, with a minimum 

 of litter, will contain 70 — 80 per cent, of water. The 

 manure from stall-fed cattle and pigs ferments slowly, 

 and is said to be *' cold." The stable manure from 

 horses ferments readily, and is termed " hot." 



The Litter. — The worth of a litter depends partly 

 on its powers of retaining water and ammonia, and 

 partly upon the manurial constituents which itself 

 supplies. A htter has the greatest power of absorption 

 when it is finely divided ; straw chaff is thus a better 

 absorbent than long straw. 



WATER RETAINED BY 1 PART OF LITTER. 



