ANIMAL SUBSTANCES. 143 



.Refiners, with the lime and charcoal, blood is much and effectually 

 employed in France. This is animal black, or animalized charcoal, 

 containing 20 per cent, of blood, and is sold for more than the 

 blood and charcoal originally cost. Artificial mixtures of char- 

 coal, blood and other matters are, accordingly, now manufactured ex- 

 tensively. The efficacy of horn, wool, or hair, depend on the same 

 elements as other animal matters. These are, however, dry, while 

 blood and flesh contain 80 or 90 per cent, of water ; thus they should 

 improve the soil 6 or 8 times as much as the same weight of blood. 

 But the effect of the latter is more immediate, while that of the former, 

 they being dry and hard, is slowly perceived. Bones contain both 

 animal matter and a large amount of earthy matter. 100 Ibs. of the 

 bones of the cow, for example, consist of 55 Ibs. of phosphate of 

 lime, 3 of phosphate of Magnesia, 3 J of soda and common salt, 33 1 of 

 carbonate of lime, 1 fluoride of calcium and 33 of gelatin or the same 

 substance as horn. The organic matter in 100 pounds of bone (gelatin) 

 is no more than in 33 pounds of horn, or as 3 to 4 of flesh or blood ; 

 yet they supply a large amount of inorganic matter, and the kinds most 

 wanted for good soils, as seen above. Animal substances containing 

 much water, as with flesh and blood, decay rapidly, and operate imme- 

 diately and powerfully ; but those which are dry, as horn, wool and 

 hair, decompose and act slowly, and last perhaps for several seasons ; 

 while bone, like horn, may act for several years, as they are very pro- 

 ductive of earthy matter. 



Digested animal substances are the liquid and solid excrement of 

 domestic animals. The former act mostly through the saline substan- 

 ces they hold in solution, and they act speedily, while the latter con- 

 tains also insoluble matters which decay slowly. Human urine con- 

 tains, in 1000 parts, water 932, urea and other organic matter contain- 

 ing nitrogen, 49 ; lime, phosphate of ammonia, soda and magnesia, 6 ; 

 sulphate of soda and ammonia?; salamoniac and common salt 6. In 

 these there are 68 Ibs. of dry fertilizing matter of the most valuable 

 quality, which Johnson estimates to be worth, at the price artificial 

 manures are sold for in England, at near $4, 50 a cwt. ; so if a person 

 voids 1000 Ibs. a year, which is the- estimate, the waste is calculated at 

 about $2 50 each. If, therefore, 5 tons of manure are required for the 

 acre, and if 4 cwt. of the solid parts of urine produce the same effect, 

 that of 10,000 persons would supply 15,000 acres, yielding 36,000 

 bushels of grain-corn, or an equal product of other crops. It is 

 estimated also, that the liquids and solids of the cow is worth from 

 10 to 20 dollars ; so that a practical agriculturist may readily 

 calculate the loss in this way. Before sprinkling the liquid upon 

 plants or the soil, it should commence fermentation and be united with 

 a quantity of water. To obtain the valuable properties of the liquid, 

 burned gypsum is mixed with it in the proportion of 10 Ibs. to 7 gals., 



