8 



grown fattening animal the proportion retained is quite small ; 

 while in the case of a working horse or ox, neither gaining nor 

 losing weight, the amount retained is practically nothing. 



We have next to take into account the subsequent treat- 

 ment of the manure. The losses of nitrogen which may occur 

 from imperfect methods of treatment are very large, amount- 

 ing to at least one-half of the nitrogen originally present in 

 the fresh liquid and solid excrements. Accurate investigations 

 on the subject are much needed. We may say, however, 

 with some confidence, that the most effective use of foods as 

 manure is obtained when the food is consumed upon the land. 

 When cake is consumed by sheep feeding off turnips on the 

 land ; when the plough follows up the hurdles without delay, 

 and barley is at once sown, we have conditions under which 

 the manure from the cake will yield its best return. Cake 

 consumed on pasture is probably not quite so effective, as the 

 distribution of the manure is in this case far less perfect. If 

 manure is made at the farm buildings, the preparation of the 

 manure in boxes or deep stalls, where it remains undisturbed 

 under the animal, fresh litter being spread on the top each 

 day, is the most perfect method yet adopted. If the manure 

 is daily carried to a heap, the losses of nitrogen at once become 

 very considerable. To diminish loss as far as possible the 

 escape of urine must be carefully prevented, and the manure 

 heap must be kept thoroughly consolidated, and thoroughly 

 moist. When the heap is to be preserved for some time it 

 should be covered with a layer of earth well beaten together. 



We have said enough to show how greatly the practical 

 value of every manure will vary under the variety of condi- 

 tions which occur in agriculture. It is impossible, therefore, 

 to take the mere cost of the manure, or cake, which the out- 

 going tenant has employed in the latter years of his tenancy, 

 as in itself a sufficient basis for estimating the value of the 

 unexhausted improvements which he leaves on the farm ; a 

 number of other considerations must be taken into account 

 before the practical value of these improvements to the 

 succeeding tenant can be determined. The Newcastle Club 

 acted very wisely when in 1884 it arranged its scale of com- 

 pensation for each manure in three grades, thus allowing 



