Jlnimal Excrements. 317 
Excrements of Herbivora. — " These manures may be arranged 
in the following order, to show their relative value: — 1st, the 
sheep; 2d, the horse; 3d, horned animals; 4th, the pig." Here 
again it must be stated, the relative value of these substancs de- 
pends on the food given. "By way of comparison with the above 
analysis of pigeon and poultry manure, I now add the following of 
The Bow The Horse The. Sheep The Pifj 
Water 79-724 78-36 68-71 75-00 
Azotised matter 16046 19-10 23-16 20-15 
Saline do 4-230 2-54 8-13 4-85 
100-00 100-00 100-00 10000 
It may be necessary to add, that in the above table, which pla- 
ces sheep manure at the top of the list, it is not the simple excre- 
ment which is alluded to. In many parts of Europe the sheep are 
kept in folds, where, by the constant treading of their feet, they 
press the dung and litter into such a compact mass as to prevent 
fermentation, and consequent waste of ammonia. "It is beyond dis- 
pute that the fertilzins; power which shows itself with the greatest 
promptitude, is also that which is soonest exhausted. In this re- 
spect the excrements of the various domestic animals vary as much 
as in chemical constitution, and is an item not to be overlooked 
in estimating their relative value." 
According to Boussingault, fresh horse-dung (when dried) con- 
tains 2-7 per cent of azote. The same substance when allowed 
to ferment, as it does in practice, will contain only 1 per cent of 
azote, and loses besides nearly 9-lOths of its tveight.'^ This gives 
some idea of the waste which always attends the practice of 
neglecting the manures of the farm. 
Influence of the food on the value of the manures. — "It is a 
fact, beyond dispute, that the well fed animal gives more excre- 
ment than the ill fed one; and that the healthy animal, particu- 
larly when fat, gives a much better manure than the lean and un- 
healthy animal." 
By the experiments of Bloch, the proportion of manure to the 
food consumed, is (by weight) — 
For the ox - 0-42 
" " horse 0-42 
" " sheep - 040 
But these results vary not only with the food given, but also 
" the condition under which the animal is placed. For instance, 
the milk cow will give a much less azotised manure than that of 
the ox; because the azotised principles of the food are employed 
in the production of milk. For the same reason, observes M. 
Boussingault, the excrements of young animals form a much 
poorer manure than that derived from adults." 
