MANURES. 17 



animal body. In the case of the milking- cow a large amount 

 of nitrogen is required for the production of the casein of the 

 milk, while very little of the nitrogen in the food is retained 

 in the body of the fattening animal. The fats, oils and 

 starchy materials which animals use largely are of no value as 

 manures. The nitrogen, potash and phosphorus are thrown 

 off by the fat animal in the waste products. Manures rich 

 in nitrogen ferment most rapidly. The urine is generally 

 rich in nitrogen, and since all it contains is soluble it is of 

 more value than the solid excrements of animals, and special 

 effort should be made to save it. 



Horse Manure has the characteristic of being loose and 

 light, and of fermenting very quickly. On this account it is 

 especially valuable for early spring crops, as it makes the 

 soil loose, thus permitting the air to easily penetrate it, while 

 by its rapid fermentation it warms the land. It is valuable 

 to mix with cow and swine manure on account of its hasten- 

 ing fermentation. On account of these qualities it is used 

 to warm hotbed?. 



Hen Manure is one of the richest manures formed by any 

 of our domestic animals. It heats quite readily and violently 

 and should be used very sparingly and with caution, since if 

 put in contact with the roots or stems of plants it is very liable 

 to burn them. It should "be handled with great care and be 

 kept dry. If wet, it ferments and parts with its nitrogen in the 

 form of ammonia gas, which is readily perceptible to the nose. 

 It acts very quickly and on this account is valuable for early 

 crops or to apply during the growth of a crop when the avail- 

 able manure in the land appears to have been exhausted. It 

 may be composted with dry peat or muck, when it is more 

 safely applied than if clear and there is less danger of loss 

 from heating. It should not be mixed with lime or wood 

 ashes, unless used at once. Twenty to thirty bushels of hen 

 manure is generally considered sufficient for one acre. 



Cow and Swine Manures are rather slow in action, conse- 

 quently they are not as desirable for early crops as horse 

 manure, while they are excellent for late crops. For this latter 

 purpose they are often better than horse manure. If they are 

 mixed with horse manure, they ferment very rapidly. 



