HORSE DUNG SPEEDILY FERMENTS, AND LOSES WEIGHT. 487 



is a consequence of this slower fermentation, that the same evolution 

 of ammoniacal vapours is not perceived from the droppings of the cow 

 as from night soil and from horse dung. Yet by exposure to the air, it 

 undergoes a sensible loss^ which in 40 days has been found to amount 

 to 5 per cent, or nearly one-fifth of the whole solid matter which re- 

 cent cow dung contains.* (Gazzeri.) Although, therefore, the compa- 

 ratively slow fermentation as well as the softness of cow dung fits it 

 better for treading among the straw in the open farm-yard, yet the 

 serious loss which it ultimately undergoes will satisfy the economical 

 farmer that the more effectually he can keep it covered up, or the 

 sooner he can gather his mixed dung and straw into heaps, the great- 

 er proportion of this valuable manure will he retain for the future en- 

 riching of his fields. 



3°. Horse dung is of a warmer nature than that of the cow. It 

 heats sooner, and evolves much ammonia, not merely because it con- 

 tains less water than cow dung, but because it is generally also rich- 

 er in those organic compounds of which nitrogen forms a constituent 

 part. Even when fed upon the same food the dung of the horse will 

 be richer than that of the cow, because of the greater proportion of 

 the food of the latter which is discharged in the large quantity of urine 

 it is in the habit of voiding (p. 470). 



In the short period of 24 hours, horse dung heats and begins to suf- 

 fer loss by fermentation. If left in a heap for two or three weeks, scarce- 

 ly seven-tenths of its original weight will remain. Hence the propriety 

 of early removing it from the stable, and of mixing it as soon as possi- 

 ble with some other material by which the volatile substances given 

 off may be absorbed and arrested. The colder and wetter cow or pig's 

 dang will answer well for this purpose, or soil rich in vegetable matter, 

 or peat, or saw-dust, or powdered charcoal, or any other absorbent sub- 

 stance which can readily be obtained — or if a chemical agent be pre- 

 ferred, moistened gypsum maybe sprinkled among it, or diluted sulphu- 

 ric acid. There is undoubtedly great loss experienced from the general 

 neglect of night soil, but in most cases the dung of the horse might also 

 be rendered a source of much greater profit than it has hitherto been. 



The warmth of horse dung fits it admirably for bringing other sub- 

 stances into fermentation. With peat or saw-dust it will form a rich 

 compost and to soils which contain much inert vegetable matter it can 

 be applied with great advantage. Horse and cow dung, in the dry 

 state, have been subjected to ultimate analysis by Boussingaultf, 

 (Ann. de Chim., Ixv., pp. 122, 134,) with the following results: — 



Dung of the Horse. Dung of a Milk Cow. 



Carbon 38-7 42-8 



Hydrogen 5-1 5-2 



Oxygen 37-7 37-7 



Nitrogen 2-2 2-3 



Ashes 16-3 12-0 



100 100 



Waterf 300 566 



400 666 



* Cow (lung consisting of 75 of water and 25 of dry solid mailer, of which latter 5 disappear 

 t Recent hotse dung losing 76 per cent, of water bj' drying of cow dung 75 per cent. 

 20* 



