COMPOSITION OF SOLID AND LIQUID EXCRETA. 13 



In conclusion, then, the important points to be 

 noticed are 



1. That in the passage of the food through the 

 system of the common farm animals, only a very 

 small percentage of the fertilising substances, nitro- 

 gen, phosphoric acid, and potash, is assimilated and 

 retained in the animal body ; and that, therefore, the- 

 oretically at least, the excreta should contain nearly 

 the same amount of fertilising matter as the food 

 originally did. 



2. That even in the case of a fattening animal, the 

 loss of fertilising matter sustained by the food in pass- 

 ing through the system is not great. 



3. That with regard to the total amount of solid 

 excreta and urine voided, the latter contains, as a 

 rule, more nitrogen than the former ; the nitrogen in 

 the urine, further, being more valuable, as it is in a 

 soluble condition. 



4. That as regards the distribution of the ash con- 

 stituents, lime, phosphor ic acid, and magnesia are almost 

 entirely found in the solid excrements ; while the urine 

 contains nearly all the potash. 



5. That the best results can be expected only when 

 the liquid and solid excreta are used together as a 

 manure. 



As the composition of the manure depends so largely 

 on the nature of the food, a table will be found in the 

 Appendix, Note VI., 1 containing the manurial composi- 

 tion of some of the commoner 



UNIVERSITY 



