MANUAL FOR SUGAR GROWERS. 



57 



potash, and phosphates can be readily and cheaply 

 supplied from other sources. 



A curious fallacy exists respecting the action of 

 the animal on the food, and the manurial value of 

 the excreta as compared with the food eaten. It 

 seems to be fully believed by many planters that 

 the excreta have greater manurial value than the 

 food. Nothing could be further from the truth. If 

 all the excreta of an animal which had ceased grow- 

 ing were collected, the manurial value of these would 

 be just equal to that of the food ; there might be a 

 little difference in the rapidity of the action, but the 

 ultimate effect would be the same. How impossible 

 it is to collect all the excreta will be immediately 

 recognised. In the case of a growing animal the ex- 

 creta will contain less potash, phosphates, nitrogen, 

 etc., owing to the retention of these by the animal 

 in order to build up new tissues in the form of bone, 

 muscle, fat, etc. The following tables are taken from 

 Mr. AVarington's " Chemistry of the Farm," and are 

 based on the experiments conducted at Eotham- 

 sted. 



NITROGEN IN ANIMAL PRODUCE AND VOIDED AS URINE, FOR 

 100 CONSUMED AS FOOD. 



