ANIMAL MANURES. 96 



procured at a reasonable rate. Where green vegetable 

 manures of any description can be easily obtained 

 away from the farm, the farmer will do well to re- 

 member that there is an especial advantage in their 

 application; they add to his land not only organic, but 

 inorganic substances which have never been there 

 before, and are consequently a clear gain to the soil 

 in every respect. 



SECTION IV. OF ANIMAL MANURES. 



We will now take up the second class, the animal 

 manures. These comprise the blood, flesh, hair, horns, 

 bones and excrements of animals. Manures of this 

 class are more powerful by far than the vegetable 

 manures, because they contain so much more nitrogen. 

 I now simply state this fact; the reason why nitrogen 

 is so efficacious, will be given in a subsequent chapter. 

 Blood and flesh are among the most valuable of all; 

 wherever they can be obtained, they should be secured 

 at once, and either buried or made into compost. All 

 of the offal from slaughter-houses is of much value, 

 though in this country it is often entirely wasted. 



It is not uncommon, in many districts, to see horses 

 or cattle that die from disease, drawn out to some 

 secluded spot, and there left to decay on the surface. 

 These are known to be some of the most powerful 

 manures that the farmer could obtain; equal to guano, 

 poudrette, or any of the other more costly fertilizers. 

 Every animal that dies should be made into a compost, 

 or buried in pieces at once. The best plan is to 

 separate the flesh, which decomposes readily and pro- 

 duces an immediate effect, and make use of the bones 

 according to some of the methods to be hereafter 

 described. 



The hair of animals is an exceedingly rich manure; 

 for this reason woolen rags, and the waste from woolen 



