100 



farmers of our County to save the liquid excrement of 

 their animals by the use of seasoned peat in their cattle 

 stalls and manure pits, as an absorbent, than to recom- 

 mend them to drag it many miles at much expense to be 

 used by itself or in compost, for fertilizing purposes. 



How strangely we overlook the value of the liquid 

 excrement of our animals ! A cow under ordinary feed- 

 ing furnishes in a year 20,000 lbs., of solid excrement, 

 and about 8000 lbs. of the liquid. The comparative 

 money value of the two is but slightly in favor of the 

 solid. This statement has been verified as truth, over 

 and over again. The urine of heibiverous animals holds 

 nearly all the secretions of the body which are capable 

 of producing the rich nitrogenous compounds, so essen- 

 tial as forcing or leaf-forming agents in the growth of 

 plants. The solid holds the phosphoric acid, lime and 

 magnesia which go to the seeds principally; but the 

 liquid; holding nitrogen, potash and soda, is needed to 

 form the stalk and leaves. The two forms of j)lant nutri- 

 ment should never he separ'oted or allotvcd to he wasted hy 

 neglect. The farmer who saves all the liquids voided by 

 his animals, doubles his manurial resources every year. 

 Good seasoned peat is of immense service to farmers, 

 when used as an absorbent, and the stalls for animals 

 should be so constructed as to admit of a wdde passage 

 in the rear, with generous storage room, besides, for peat, 

 to be used daily with the excrement. 



The remarks above made, may be regarded as prelim- 

 inary to some brief, general statements upon another 

 branch of the subject of fertilizers. With a proper idea 

 of what really constitutes plant aliment, and of the phys- 

 ical and chemical nature of the bulky substances in gen- 

 eral use, the enquiry very naturally arises, why cannot 



