HOME 3IA]S^URE. 67 



of farm animals with the straw and other matters nsed 

 as litter. It is regarded as the typical manure, both be- 

 cause it is a ^^ general" manure, and on account of its 

 influence on the texture and general character of the soil 

 to which it is applied. Still it is not a perfect manure. 

 It contains, no doubt, all the elements of plant-growth; 

 but these are not always present in the best proportions. 

 To prevent a deficiency of one element, it has to be em- 

 ployed in such large quantities as to furnish other ele- 

 ments more or less in excess of what is actually required 

 by the crop. Its great bulk also makes it extremely ex- 

 pensive to handle. It is, moreover, exceptionally liable 

 to waste, and it yields its results very slowly. 



In a ton of ordinary farm-yard manure there is con- 

 tained about thirteen pounds of nitrogen, ten and a-half 

 pounds of potash, and ten and a-half pounds of phos- 

 phoric acid. The per centages are of course, variable. 

 Mr. Warington, in the *^ Chemistry of the Farm,"* puts 

 the amount at nine to fifteen pounds of nitrogen, nine to 

 fifteen pounds of potash, and four to nine pounds of 

 phosphoric acid. The conditions affecting the composi- 

 tion and quality of the manure are — (1) the kind and 

 condition of animal producing it; (2) the food of the 

 animal ; (3 j the kind and quantity of litter used ; and (4) 

 the care bestowed upon its after-management. 



1. TJie A7iimal. — The quality of the manure varies, 

 not only with the class of animal — horse, cow, sheep, pig, 

 etc. — which produces it, but with the age and character 

 of the animal. An adult animal takes comparatively 

 little of the nitrogenous and ash elements from the food, 

 because what it chiefly requires is the carbonaceous matter 

 to keep up respiration and to form fat. A young and 

 growing .animal has more varied wants to suj^ply in the 

 formation of both bone and muscle, and therefore it re- 



* Published by Orange Judd & Co. 



