FERTILIZERS. 53 



the latter being kiln-dried. Sometimes, when the heat is 

 too great, it is partially burned, to the destruction of a 

 portion of the ammonia. The nitrogen in blood acts very 

 readily as plant fooc 1 . 



COTTON-SEED MEAL iiad better be first fed, as the ma- 

 nure from it is almost as rich in fertilizing materials as 

 was the meal before feeding ; for, as we have stated else- 

 where, full-grown animals take but a small per cent of the 

 potash, phosphoric acid, or nitrogen that exists in their 

 food, while butter takes none. Occasionally spoilt cotton- 

 seed meal can be found in the market that is nearly as- 

 good for manure as the best of meal, and, being generally 

 valued at about three-fifths as much, is a very cheap source 

 for nitrogen and phosphoric acid. When spoilt by trans- 

 portation by salt-water, it is generally in very hard lumps r 

 which have to be ground in a mill. One high recom- 

 mendation that castor-pomace and cotton-seed meal have, 

 is, that their manure elements are in condition for imme- 

 diate use as plant-food. 



HOOF AND HORN SHAVINGS AND LEATHER. All of 

 these are very rich in nitrogen, but it is not readily avail- 

 able, and therefore has a low value as a market article. 

 Hoof and horn shavings analyze as high as 11.81 nitrogen j 

 and, if first steamed and then ground, the nitrogen they 

 contain becomes to a degree available. When used to* 

 adulterate superphosphate, as they very rarely are, being 

 ground up, the particles can be readily detected by the 

 microscope. Horn-waste is mostly in thin, bulky shavings, 

 which are marketed in huge bags. Several years ago I 

 purchased a ton, to test its availability and value, not hav- 

 ing any idea of the peculiar mechanical condition of the 

 article. Standing at my door one morning, I saw a team 

 coming down the street with a bulk of bags piled as- 

 high as a large load of hay. While wondering what new 



