FARM MANURE 



501 



farm manures demand liberal interpretations, they afford 

 considerable light regarding the differences to be expected be- 

 tween excrement from various animals. 



Table CIV 



THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH MANURE. 1 



Since the horse does not ruminate its food, the manure is 

 likely to be of an open character. It is also fairly dry, as is 

 that from sheep, the urine in these two manures making up 

 20 and 33 per cent., respectively, of the whole product. The 

 complete manure from these two animals contains 78 and 

 68 per cent., respectively, of water — a considerable contrast 

 to the cattle and swine increments. Cattle and swine ma- 

 nures, being very wet, are rather solid and compact. The air, 

 therefore, is likely to be excluded to a large degree and de- 

 composition is relatively slow. They are usually spoken of 

 as cold inert manures as compared with the dry, open, rapidly 

 heating excrements obtained from the horse and the sheep. 



1 Van Slyke, L. L., Fertilisers and Crops, p. 291; New York, 1912. 



