MANURES. 



19 



the young animals, a large amount of nitrogen and phosphoric 

 acid is required to build up the animal body. In the case of 

 the milking cow a large amount of nitrogen is required for 

 the production of the casein of the milk, while very little of 

 the nitrogen in the food is retained in the body of the fatten- 

 ing animal. The fats, oils and starchy materials which ani- 

 mals use largely are of no value as manures. The nitrogen, 

 potash and phosphorus are thrown off by the fat animal in the 

 waste products. Manures rich in nitrogen ferment most rap- 

 idly, other things being equal. The urine is generally rich in 

 nitrogen, and since all it contains is soluble it is of more 

 value than the solid excrements of animals, and special effort 

 should be made to save it. 



The Heating of Manures and other organic material is gen- 

 erally due to the presence of ferments which are minute organ- 

 isms that break down the composition of the materials in 

 which they grow and produce chemical changes that result in 

 the formation of heat. They are nearly allied to the yeast that is 

 used in bread-making. Fire fanged is a term applied to ma- 

 nure which has heated to a very high temperature without suf- 

 ficient moisture and has dried out. It is generally white in 

 color and has lost much of its texture, and parts of it may 

 appear to have been burned to ashes. When in this condition 

 manure is of little value, for it has lost much if not all of its 

 nitrogen and all the ferments which it contained are destroyed. 

 And it is probable that the ferments which are added to soils 

 by manure are often of much importance to them. 



Horse Manure is loose and light, and ferments very quickly. 

 On this account it is especially valuable for early spring crops, 

 as it makes the soil loose, thus permitting the air to easily 

 penetrate it, while by its rapid fermentation it warms the land. 

 It is valuable to mix with cow and swine manure on account 

 of its hastening fermentation. On account of its heating quali- 

 ties it is used to warm hotbeds. 



Hen Manure is one of the richest manures formed by 

 any of our domestic animals, for the reason that poultry live 

 on highly concentrated foods and the liquid and solid excre- 

 ments are voided together. It heats quite readily and vio- 

 lently and should be used very sparingly and with caution, 



