510 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



called fire-fanged, having lost eighty per cent of its valuable 

 properties. I find manure fit for use when the putrefactive pro- 

 cess has been carried just far enough to destroy the germinating 

 principles of the seeds contained in it. In that state it will cover 

 more ground effectually, by one-third, than it will if permitted to 

 become entirely putrefied. To show the superior value of horse 

 manure fed on oats, carrots and hay, over cow manure fed on 

 ground corn, and oats, and hay and turnips, I manured eight acres 

 of oats with horse manure, and an adjoining eight acres with cow 

 manure, so manufactured. The first eight produced more than 

 four times the quantity that the second eight did. The succeed- 

 ing crops were all equally distinguished for their superior yield 

 on the horse manured portion. I also manured a piece of land 

 containing one acre with the manure of a horse fed on grain, and 

 a contiguous acre with the manure of a horse fed on hay. The 

 result was twice the yield in favor of the well fed horse. Such 

 an animal will consume 72 lbs. of oats, 86 lbs. of hay, and 58 

 lbs. of cut straw in a week, and the dung and litter will weigh 

 330 lbs., equal to 17,160 lbs. per annum. 



A cow will consume in 24 hours, 82 lbs. of distilled grains, 

 raw turnips, 33 lbs.; hay, 16 lbs.; water, 24 quarts ; and will 

 yield 18,250 lbs. of solid manui-e in a year. Every substance 

 taken into the body of an animal in the shape of food, 

 must make its exit in one of three different shapes. It must be 

 rejected in the liquid or solid excretions, breathed out by the 

 functions of the lungs, or perspires through the pores of the skin. 

 If your cattle have been stall fed on juicy and nutritious food, 

 their manure will be rich and easily decomposed, and though it 

 may not appear to require turning over, still it will be found very 

 advantageous to do so, as the effect will be to ferment the mass 

 equally, and render all parts of the yard susceptible of rapid 

 fermentation. As the excrements of cattle contain in their fresh 

 condition eighty-two per cent of water, and the balance gaseous 

 matters, soda, potash and the salts of lime, which are all found 

 in many plants, the action of these organic compoimds depends 

 much more than is generally supposed on their inorganic con- 

 stituents, restoring to the earth those substances removed by the 



