270 
FERTILIZERS. 
The urine of cows may be supposed to vary with their food. According to Sprengel, 1000 
parts contain 926'2 of water, the remainder consists of, 
Urea, . 40-00 
Mucus,. 2*00 
Suppuric and lactic acids,. 6*10 
Carbonic acid,. 2*10 
Ammonia,. 2*10 
Potash,. 6*60 
Soda,. 5*50 
Sulphuric acid,. 4*00 
Phosphoric acid,. 0*70 
Chlorine,. 2*70 
Lime,. 0*60 
Magnesia, . 0*40 
Silica,. 0*40 
Manganese, iron, etc. 0*10 
100*00 
The urea is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. In fermentation this sub¬ 
stance is converted into ammonia and carbonic acid ; hence, this valuable matter is dissipated 
and lost in the chemical changes which this fertilizer undergoes, unless it is mixed with some 
absorbent, like gypsum, marl or peat. 
There are undoubtedly greater losses sustained in this country by neglecting the liquid ex¬ 
crements of animals than by any other parts : but since the attention of farmers has been di¬ 
rected strongly to this subject, and since, too, the examples of our neighbors in Europe regard 
them as their most important fertilizers, they are generally taking measures which are more or 
less effective for preserving them for use. It is indeed a very simple process, requiring only 
absorbent bodies, which are within the reach of almost every farmer, as peat, muck and plaster 
or marl and charcoal, or mixtures of all of them ; or else tanks, so constructed as to receive 
them directly and to which a little sulphuric acid might be .added, by which sulphate of am¬ 
monia may be formed, which will fix the most volatile part. The view which economical, 
writers have taken of the subject is undoubtedly the correct one, viz. that their waste and loss 
is equivalent to the waste and loss of a certain amount of corn and meat, or if the farmer resorts 
unnecessarily to the purchase of guano to supply those wastes, it is equivalent to the purchase 
of his corn and meat. How often is the farmer reminded that all the mineral ingredients 
of the food of his family and his stock, is derived directly from the soil, and that the soil can 
not, from the nature of its composition, remain long fertile, unless these fertilizers are restored 
to it. 
