300 IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOIL 



rived from an animal principle called urea; which may be 

 obtained from urine in transparent, colorless crystals, very 

 soluble in water, in which it suffers no change; but when 

 mixed as in urine, it is converted into carbonate of ammonia. 

 Alkalies produce the same effect. 

 Urea is composed of 



Carbon 19.99 I Hydrogen 6.66 



Oxygen 26.66 | Nitrogen 46.66 



The oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen are in such pro- 

 portions, that they are converted ivholly into carbonic acid 

 and ammonia ; hence, the quantity of urea in urine, is equal 

 to its weight of carbonate of ammonia. The urea and uric 

 acid, render the liquid excretions of animals equally valuable 

 with the solid evacuations ; and much more valuable, when 

 vegetable matters are employed to absorb the gaseous products. 

 1. Urine of the cow. The liquid evacuations of the cow 

 are composed of 



Water 65 



Urea 5 



Phosphate of lime 5 



Sal amm. and mur. of potash 15 

 Sulphate of potash 6 



Carbonate of potash and amm. 4 



~Ioo 



It will be seen, that the quantity of ammonia in the urea, 

 as compared with cow-dung, is as 5 to 2 ; and in the other 

 ammoniacal salts as 15 to 2, or about 4 times the quantity of 

 the salts of ammonia in the liquid, that there is in the solid 

 evacuations. 



:*»'100dbs. of this urine yield 35 lbs. of the most power- 

 ful salts ; hence, the importance of saving the urine by in- 

 troducing into the yard or barn cellar substances, as peat, 

 which will prevent it from being washed away. If it is true, 

 as has been shown by experiment, that a cord of loam satu- 

 rated with urine is equal to a cord of the best rotted manure, 

 and if one cow would furnish sufficient annually to manure an 

 acre and one half of land, while the solid evacuations will not 

 fertilize more than one acre, it must be evident to every far- 



