128 



WOOL HAIE HOEN 



appropriate machinery and the wool fibre again converted into cloth. 

 This process may go on several times, until finally the fibres, known 

 as "shoddy," become so short that they will no longer hold together. 

 They then constitute "shoddy waste," or shoddy manure, and are 

 useful as a source of nitrogen. 



Such manure is variable in composition, according to the treatment 

 which the wool has undergone and the amount of oily substances 

 (used in the cloth manufacture) left in it. 



The following analyses have been published : 



I. English commercial " ground wool ". 

 II. American wool waste. 



III. Shoddy manure of high quality. 



IV. Average of pure wool. 



Substances of similar composition, sometimes used as nitrogenous 

 manures, are hair from tanneries and horn chips. 



Hair contains about 10 to 14 per cent nitrogen, horn shavings 

 about the same. 



An American product horn and hoof waste contains on the 

 average 



Water . 

 Nitrogen . 

 Phosphorus pentoxide 



10-17 per cent. 

 13-25 

 1-83 



Wool, hair and horn suffer decomposition in the soil only very slowly ; 

 consequently they are not quick in their action, but afford a slow supply 

 of nitrogen for a long period, in some cases for five or six years. They 

 are used in the preparation of certain " mixed manures," and especially 

 in the cultivation of hops. Feathers, which resemble hair in composition, 

 are also used as manure in Ireland. 



In fact, any animal matter, if obtainable in quantity, would furnish 

 valuable manurial material. 



Insects (for example, locusts) might with advantage be used as 

 manure. A sample of locusts (Pachytylus sulcicollis) killed by immer- 

 sion in boiling water, dried and ground to powder, was examined by 

 the writer and yielded the following analytical figures : 



Moisture . 



Nitrogen . 



Phosphorus pentoxide 



Potash . 



Lime 



Silica 



Total ash 



10-3 per cent. 

 9-3 

 1-48 

 0-52 

 0-28 

 1-53 

 5-34 



