MANURES. 



161 



injurious to tender plants. To fruit-trees, Rasp- 

 berries and Currants, kitchen-garden crops, and 

 flowering shrubs, the application of urine proves 

 highly beneficial. 



From the facility with which it can be applied 

 to growing plants, without disturbing their 

 roots, as well as on account of its rich manuring 

 properties, urine is an excellent manure for 

 garden purposes. 



Liquid Manure. — Almost any manure may be 

 applied to the soil in a liquid state, consequently 

 all such might be included under this heading; 

 nevertheless, as, when speaking of each manure, 

 the circumstances of its being used in a liquid 

 form have been mentioned, we shall confine our- 

 selves to the common acceptance of the term 

 liquid manure. 



Liquid manure is generally considered to 

 imply the drainings of dung-heaps, stables, cow- 

 houses, and piggeries; and it consists chiefly of 

 urine, together with more or less of the solid 

 excrements of the animals dissolved by it, or by 

 rain-water. Collected from such various sources, 

 it is evident that the composition and value of 

 liquid manure must vary considerably, according 

 to the kind of animal from which it is derived, 

 the amount of solid matters it contains, the 

 mode of preserving it, and other circumstances. 



Liquid manure is used with excellent effect 

 for Pine-apples, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, fruit-trees, 

 and flowering shrubs of all kinds, both in pots 

 and in the open ground, Strawberries, and, in 

 short, for all plants in pots that require to be 

 stimulated. When it can be had in sufficient 

 quantity it is beneficially applied to Vine and 

 Peach borders, and to kitchen-garden crops. In 

 using it, however, care should be taken that the 

 soil be not over-saturated with it, for in that 

 case it is worse for the growing roots than 

 saturation with common water. It is a safe 

 plan to water plants with liquid manure and 

 rain-water alternately. 



Horse-dung. — The solid excrements of the 

 horse consist of 20*67 per cent of organic matter, 

 4*02 per cent of mineral ingredients, and 75*31 

 per cent of water. Horse-dung is most bene- 

 ficially applied to cold, stiff" soils; and in order 

 that its mechanical action may be turned to 

 advantage, the dung should not be much decom- 

 posed, care being taken, however, that the litter 

 is sufficiently moist for decomposition, without 

 becoming musty in the ground, as it does some- 

 times in dry weather when it is not previously 

 well saturated. 



Of equal weights of horse-dung and cow-dung, 

 the former is the more fertilizing; but taking 



vol. i. 



bulk for bulk of each, it is inferior to cow-dung. 

 Where horse-dung is not applied particularly 

 for the purpose of keeping the ground open, but 

 merely for its manuring properties, it should be 

 previously turned, and during the process it 

 should be well moistened, preferably with the 

 drainings of the farm-yard or other liquid ma- 

 nure. Fermentation is apt to become excessive 

 in the heap of horse-dung, and then it is in- 

 jurious, for the ammonia is driven off* and the 

 littery portion in the centre is apt to become 

 dried up and rendered inert. Means should 

 therefore be adopted to prevent the heat from 

 becoming too great; the heap should be turned, 

 spread out, or watered, before it becomes too hot ; 

 and the ammonia, that would otherwise escape, 

 may be absorbed by a covering of soil or turf, or 

 any substance, in short, that is found to prevent 

 the heap from exhaling effluvia. Horse-dung is 

 well adapted for producing immediate action on 

 crops ; hence, for such of these as are required to 

 be produced as early as possible, it is well to ma- 

 nure with the droppings shaken from the litter. 



Cow-dung. — According to Boussingault, 100 

 parts of fresh cow-dung contain 8 "27 parts of 

 organic matter, 1*13 part of mineral ingredients, 

 and 90 '60 parts of water. Cow-dung contains 

 more water than horse-dung, and a smaller pro- 

 portion of nitrogen. Its fertilizing properties are 

 inferior to those possessed by horse-dung, and 

 from its not readily fermenting, it is colder than 

 that manure. It is slower in its action than horse- 

 dung, but its effects are much more lasting; it is, 

 therefore, better adapted for trees, or any crop 

 that requires the manure to continue for years. 

 For hot dry soils it is better adapted than horse- 

 dung; but, on the contrary, it is not proper for 

 cold and wet soils, and to such, more especially, 

 it should not be applied in spring, or, at all 

 events, it should not then be employed in its 

 crude wet state. Mixed with horse-dung, or 

 with litter, and the whole slightly fermented, it 

 answers better for damp heavy soils. Some have 

 used large quantities of cow-dung in forming- 

 borders for Vines and for other fruit-trees, but 

 experience has proved, that after two or three 

 years the mass of cow-dung becomes inert, and 

 retains too much moisture in winter. For fruit- 

 trees generally, a compost of cow-dung and good 

 turfy loam is found preferable to cow-dung alone. 



There is perhaps no kind of manure that re- 

 tains moisture so well as cow-dung. It is, there- 

 fore, excellent for dry hot soils, and as a mulching 

 over the roots of trees; yet in a fresh imfer- 

 mented state it will injure the roots of some 

 plants if they come in contact with it where it 



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