Farm Manure. 



113 



ment. And this estimate is conservative. Even at this figure 

 we have the tremendous sum of $750,900,000 as an annual loss 

 in the United States. This condition is the more unfortunate 

 because practically all of it could be prevented. 



In Wisconsin the value of the manure produced annually by 

 its 1,300,000 milch cows, 1,100,000 other cattle, 600,000 horses, 

 1,000,000 sheep and 1,900,000 swine, based on the above figures, 

 is approximately $60,000,000. And it is also true that as large 

 a proportion of its valuable constituents is annually lost as in 

 any part of the United States. It is safe to say that from the 

 farms of Wisconsin there is an annual loss of at least $20,000,000 

 from the indifferent and careless management of the manure 

 produced. 



Composition of manure from different animals. The manure 

 produced by the various classes of farm animals differs greatly 

 in its composition and physical properties. The following table 

 gives the average composition of the fresh manure (including 

 solid and liquid excrement) of farm animals. It will be seen 

 from the table that the differences in composition are largely due 

 to the variations in the amount of water present: 



Average Composition of Fresli Manures. 



A ton of mixed manure of average composition contains ap- 

 proximately 5 pounds of phosphoric acid, 10 pounds of nitrogen 

 and 10 pounds of potash. 



Manures containing large amounts of water are "cold ma- 



