GARDENING FOR ALL. 17 
FARMYARD MANURE. 
This is one of the best fertilising agents we have, when 
properly made and suitably preserved. It does everything 
an artificial or chemical manure does, and a great deal more. 
Farmyard manure acts both chemically and mechanically, 
both sustaining and increasing the depth of the soil. Its 
mechanical effects may be classed under five heads: First— 
it adds humus to the soil. Second—it makes the soil more 
capable of absorbing and retaining moisture. Third-—it 
lightens the soil, and makes it more accessible to the air and 
easier to work. Fourth—it renders the soil darker and more 
retentive of the warmth of the sun. Fifth—it enables the 
soil to hold Ammonia and Nitrogen more readily. 
The relative qualities of manures are :— 
First, Fowl manure. 
Second, Sheep ‘6 
Third, Horse i 
Fourth, Pig ” 
Fifth Cow 
And their chief manurial constituents are as follows :— 
One ton of Nitrogen. | Potash. | Lime. | Phosphoric Acid. 
Fowl manure contains 43 Ibs. 19 lbs. | 58 Ibs. 39 Ibs. 
Sheep ud a 20 as voor 33) is T3345 
Horse ‘3 me Tai i 13 5 TO Gn 
Cow a x Qo» ere | 1 a Bs 
The kind of food given to animals influences the quality 
of manure considerably ; that from animals fed on decorticated 
cotton cake being considered best, and that from rape, linseed, 
wheat straw, bean straw, potatoes, mangolds, swedes, and 
turnips in the order here given. Manure from covered yards 
is generally much better than that from open yards; Lord 
Kinnaird having produced potatoes worth £11 58. od. from 
land so manured as against £7 12s. od. with open-yard 
manure; 54 bushels of wheat against 42 bushels, and 215 
stone of straw against 150 stone. 
