O AMERICAN AGIUCULTtKE. 



qualities extracted, the Jess is the value of the manure. Thus 

 on the same quantity and quality of food, a growing animal, 

 or a cow in calf, or giving milk, yields a poorer quality of 

 fceces, then such as are not increasing in weight, and if the 

 animal be actually losing condition, the richness of the ma- 

 nure is very much increased. The quality of food adds 

 materially to this difference, the richest giving by far the 

 most valuable manure. Those animals which are kept on a 

 scanty supply of straw or refuse hay, yield manure little better 

 than good turf, and far inferior to the droppings of such as 

 are highly fed. The imperfect mastication of the horse and 

 mule, in comparison with the ruminating animals, the ox and 

 sheep, their generally better quality of food, and the fact 

 that for the greater part of their lives they are not adding to 

 their carcass, is the cause of the increased value of their 

 manure. Their solid fceces are also much richer than those 

 of the cow, as they void less urine and this is of an indiffer- 

 ent character. In a long series of carefel experiments, made 

 at Dresden and Berlin by order of the Saxon and Prussian 

 governments, it was ascertained that soil which would yield 

 for 1 sown, when dressed with cow dung would give 7 ; 

 with horse dung 10; and with human 14. 



POUDRETTE AND URATE. 



Poudrette is the name given to the human faeces after they 

 have been mixed with charcoal dust or charred peat, by which 

 it is disinfected of its effluvia, and when dried it become?; a 

 convenient article for use, and even for remote transportation, 

 Tho odor is sometimes expelled by adding quick lime, but 

 this removes with it much of the ammonia, and on this ac- 

 count should always be avoided. 



Urate as well as poudrette, has become an article of 

 commerce. It is manufactured in large cities by collecting 

 the urine and mixing with it 1-6 or 1.7 of its weight of 

 ground gypsum, and allowing it to stand several days. This 

 combines with a portion of the ammonia, after which it is 

 dried and the liquid is thrown away. Only a part of the 

 value is secured by this operation. It is sometimes prepared 

 by the use of sulphuric acid, which is gradually added to urine 

 and forms sulphate of ammonia, which is afterwards dried. 

 This secures a greater amount of the valuable properties of 

 the urine; but even this is not without waste. 



Night soil .- From the analysis of Berzelius, the excrements 

 of a healthy man yielded water, 73% albumen, 9; bile, 9: 



