58 CHYMISTRY APPLIED TO AGRICULTURE. 



Carbonate of lime 

 Carbonate of potash 

 Benzoate of soda . 

 Muriate of potash 



Urea 



Water and mucilage 



11 



9 

 24 



9 



7 



940 



1,000 



An analysis of human urine by M. Berzelius afforded, 



Water 933 



Urea 30.1 



Uric acid 1 



Muriate of ammonia, free lactic acid, 



lactate of ammonia, and animal matter 17.4 



981.5 



The remainder is composed of sulphates, phosphates, 

 and muriates. 



It may be seen from these analyses, that there is a wide 

 difference in the urine of various animals, but that all con- 

 tain salts which enter into plants, with the water by which 

 they are held in solution ; and draw in at the same 

 time those animal portions, which, like urea, are easily 

 soluble, and can be decomposed without difficulty. 



Amongst the principles contained in urine, there are 

 some salts undecomposable by the digestive organs of 

 vegetables ; such are the phosphate of lime, the muriate 

 and the sulphate of potash. These can serve only to ex- 

 cite and stimulate the organs ; but the urea, the mucilage, 

 the uric' acid, and other animal matters, must be con- 

 sidered as eminently nutritive. Urine in its recent state 

 should never be employed as manure ; it acts with too 

 much force, and has a tendency to dry the plants ; it 

 should therefore be either mixed with water, or allowed to 

 ferment. 



Urine is very useful for moistening all those substances 

 which enter into composts ; it increases the fertilizing 

 properties of each one of them, and facilitates the fermen- 

 tation of those which need to be decomposed before yield- 

 ing their nutritive qualities. 



Urine, when combined with plaster, lime, &c., forms a 

 very active manure for cold lands. 



Bones have, at the present time, become, in the hands 

 of the agriculturist, a powerful agent in fertilizing the soil. 



