4 8 4 



Use of Bracken as Litter. 



[OCT., 



cent., so that straw is much richer than bracken in this con- 

 stituent. The phosphoric acid in bracken is about -2 percent., 

 straw contains about the same. In the following table are 

 given (i) analyses made by the writer of samples from Hasle- 

 mere and Harpenden respectively ; (2) the average t composi- 

 tion calculated from all the analyses the writer has been able 

 to find ; (3) the average composition of English samples. 

 For purposes of comparison the average composition of wheat 

 straw is also included : — 



Dr Total 



Matt r ^ mera l Nitrogen, 

 a er. j^ atter> 



Phosphoric: potash< 



Acid 



Bracken from Haslemere (Sept. ) 



„ Harpenden ( April) 

 Average of all analyses, English 



and foreign ... 

 Average of English analyses 



only* 



Wheat straw 



84*36 

 83-19 



86-37 

 86-4 



5'8 7 

 3'6i 



5-12 



4-70 

 5*3 



1-30 

 1 ' 00 



1*33 



1-44 

 0-48 



0-19 

 o- 11 



0*26 



0'20 

 0'22 



O* 16 

 0*06 



0*50 



O'll 

 C63 



* Includes analyses kindly supplied to me by Dr. J. A. Voelcker and 

 Mr. John Hughes, 



The low value for the Harpenden sample, collected in April 

 after it had been lying on the common exposed to the bleaching 

 action of the winter rain, is interesting. 



It is evident that bracken is richer than straw and the differ- 

 ence in value comes out still more clearly i| we work out the 

 manurial value on the unit system. There is some difficulty in 

 fixing values in the case of bracken and straw, but on a moderate 

 estimate, taking the value of nitrogen as 5s. per unit, of phos- 

 phoric acid as 3s. and of potash as 4s., the value as manure 

 of English bracken in the above table is 8s. 6d. per ton, and 

 of wheat straw 55. 6d. per ton. Bracken is, therefore, 50 per 

 cent, more valuable than straw so far as its content of fertilising 

 materials is concerned. 



The Composition of the Dung. — The extent to which the 

 litter contributes to the composition of dung depends very 

 largely on the management. If the dung is made with 

 large quantities of litter in open yards and exposed to rain 

 so that the urine and soluble matters generally get washed 

 away, a large proportion of its fertilising constituents comes 

 from the litter. When dung is made in stalls * with less 



