146 



STALL-MANURE AND STRAW. 



marsh plants, one of which (reed-mace), according 

 to the experience of a Saxon farmer for many years, 

 is a very powerful manure, whilst the other (great 

 club-rush) has no manuring energy at all. 

 1,000 lbs. contained : — 



The humus-forming substances and nitrogen are 

 nearly equal in both plants, and they cannot, there- 

 fore, explain the difference of operation ; on the oth- 

 er hand, the reed-mace contains sixteen times the 

 quantity of alkalies, nearly four times more lime, 

 and three times more phosphoric acid, than the club- 

 rush. Hence it may be inferred that the far greater 

 abundance of mineral substances possessed by the 

 former plant is the cause of its greater manuring 

 power. What obtains here of these twoplants is 

 certainly valid with straw also. Azotized matters 

 exist in such trifling quantity in straw, and decom- 

 pose, like the straw itself, so slowly, that their oper- 

 ation on the soil must be all but imperceptible. 



By this statement the superiority of the old time- 

 honored straw as an excellent material for litter, for 

 the absorption and distribution of manure, and like- 

 wise as a means of improving binding soils, etc., 



