202 THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF 



Small Holdings is to attempt to feed their 

 stock with as little recourse as possible 

 to purchased foods, and their land solely 

 upon farm-yard manure. These attempts 

 to economise are the road to failure, for 

 it is impossible to sell milk continuously 

 without impoverishing the land. The value 

 of the fertilising matter in the milk of an 

 average cow is approximately £l per annum, 

 and although this sum is comparatively small 

 the loss of fertility soon begins to tell. There 

 is, however, a very natural tendency to 

 increase this loss, and we cannot doubt 

 from past experience that the real loss 

 sustained is equal to £2 per cow. We may 

 give one among other reasons why this 

 increase is so large. 



The most important item in the manure bill 

 is nitrogen. By the careless manipulation of 

 manure, such as the heating of the dung heap, 

 large quantities are lost in the form of 

 ammonia. Manure is wasted upon the aver- 

 age farm in many ways; a ton of solid dung 

 produced in the cattle-house being practically 

 reduced to 15, and sometimes 12, cwt. before it 

 is ploughed under the soil. Again, weight 

 for weight, the value of the urine or liquid 

 excrement produced by cows is greater than 



