AGRICULTURAL VALUE OF. ('.17 



value of forest litter. All forest litter, except ferns, is poorer 

 than straw in ash-constituents. The observations of Wolff and 

 Ebermayer* as regards the percentages of mineral constituents 

 in the ash of forest litter are given below : — 



Forest litter is sometimes richer in nitrogenous matter than 

 straw. Ifc is, however, much more valuable as bedding material 

 than for its intrinsic manurial value. Good bedding anaterial 

 should readily absorb and retain the excreta of farm animals. 

 With the exception of dry moss and peat, all other forms of 

 forest litter are inferior to straw in this respect. Leaf litter 

 and dead ferns come next to these in value, while coniferous 

 needles and heather are less suitable. The absorptive power of 

 weeds and branch litter varies inversely with their more or less 

 woody nature. 



[Ebermayer states that animal manure containing much ammonia 

 has a basic action ; vegetable debris, except when mixed witli lime 

 or ashes, is acid. — Tr.] 



The absolute value of the different kinds of forest litter 

 depends chiefly on their value as manure and bedding, but, 

 as noted above, other factors also intervene. Taking all these 

 into consideration, the different kinds of litter may be classed 

 as follows : — 



1. Moss, either alone, or mixed with needles. 



2. Wheat -straw. 



3. Dead ferns. 



4. Dead leaves, of beech, sycamore, lime, alder, and hazel. 



5. Coniferous needles, and dead leaves of species not included 



in 4. 

 0. Weeds and branch-litter. 

 Moss, when used dry, is the best of all forest litter ; it is more 

 * Die gesammte Lehre der Waldstreu, p. 109. 



