FAEMYAED MANUEE 313 



the others, but it is also more valuable for feeding 

 purposes. Pea and bean straws are much richer; the 

 former contains nearly twice as much and the latter 

 three times as much nitrogen as the cereal straws, but 

 of course, they are not so plentiful. Dry straw usually 

 contains about 15 per cent, of moisture, 5 per cent, of 

 ash and 80 per cent, of organic matter. The last con- 

 sists mainly of fibrous cellulose and does not decompose 

 readily, but it has considerable power of absorbing 

 liquids. 



Peat Moss. In grazing districts where many animals 

 are kept, and often but little straw is produced, peat 

 moss is largely used as a substitute. It is also employed 

 in considerable quantities in town stables and cow- 

 houses, where all the litter has to be purchased. Peat 

 moss contains from about 1 to 2 per cent, of nitrogen, 

 but is relatively very deficient in phosphoric acid and 

 potash. The proportions of fertilising ingredients de- 

 pend upon the amount of water, which, in commercial 

 samples, is very variable. Average samples of peat 

 moss, however, contain a larger proportion of nitrogen 

 than average samples of straw, and produce a richer 

 manure owing to its greater power of absorbing both 

 liquids and gases. Peat moss can absorb from three 

 to four times as much water as an equal weight of straw, 

 and it does not so readily allow the escape of ammonia. 

 On the other hand, it is a " short " material, and is not 

 so cleanly and tidy for the animals as straw. Peat 

 litter does not decompose so readily in the soil as straw, 

 but the manure made with it being richer, it generally 

 gives a somewhat better result. In cases where it is 

 necessary to economise straw, a mixture of peat moss 

 and straw is sometimes used, but is considered trouble- 

 some in practice. A small quantity of moss spread in 

 the wet places, however, helps to absorb much of the 



