Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-03-15
d AN AS
PRIZE ESSAY ON MANURE
TIE QUANTITY OF DUNG.

1t is Affected first, by the season; second,
by the age; third, by the sex; fourth, by the
condition fifth, by the mode of employ
ment; sixth, by the nature Of the beast !;
seventh. the kind Of food.
LIST. The season. 1t is because digestion
is worse in summer than in winter, general
fact. that summer manure is best. And
where cattle are summer soied. il is said the
manure is worth double that from stabilized
winter cattle. do not think much is TO be
attributed to the worse digestion in summer,
but the cause Of this great difference in val
ne, it is TO be found in the fact, that soilcd
cattle generally pc. large proportion Of
blond-tnrming food.
The wear aud tear Of their flesh is little.
and hence, requiring little Of their food to
keep up their flesh, a greater portion goes off
in dung, which thus becomes rich in ammo >
mia. The green plants, rich in nitrogen, af-
ford abundance for milk, which, being rich
in all the elements of cream, should seord
large returns of butter.
% Age. From the fact, that Young and
growing animals require not only food to
form flesh and blood, to repair the ncessanl
waste and change taking place in their bodies
as in older animals, but also further sup
ply to increase the bulk of their frame, it is
evident, that their food will be n,ore COM
p!etely exhausted of all its principles, and
that also less will be returned as dung. All
experience confirms this reasoning. and de-
cides that the manure young animals is
ever the weakest and poorest.
Sd. The sex. This is one of the most
powerful Of the causes which affect the
strength of dung. From the remarks which
have been already made, and which | trust,
reader, are now fresh in your memory, OF
the important part acted by nitrogen in dung
II must be plain why sex should exercise
such influence. LIST. In all food, as we have
explained, that only which contains nitrogen,
can form fles', and blood, or substances OF
similar constitution, that is, requiring a large
proportion of nitrogen, AS milk. Hence an
animal with young, that is, a COW before
calviEg, requires not only materials for its
own repair, lint to build up ard perfect ITS
young. Hence the food will he most COM
rlr,ely exhausted of its nitrogen. and conse-
qnenlly the dung become proportional,
weaker. I'd. The young having been form
ed, then milk is required for its sustenance
Milk caniainsa large proportion OF nitrogen
Gus or blood forming elements, and so the
cause which originally made the dung weak
continues TO operate during all the time tn.
animal is in milk. Sex, then it is evident,
affects materially the quality oflhe dung.
4lh. The condition. If the animal is in
good condition, and full grown, il requires
only food enough to supply materials to re-
new its waste.
Hence, the food, (supposing ,ha, always
in sufficient quantity,) it is less exhausted OF
its elements, than when the animal is in poor
condition. Ia the last case, not only waste,
but new materials must be supplied. II the
animal is improving in flesh, fand here, rea.
der. would have you bear in mind the dis
l'nct'on between flesh and fat } if the animal
IS improving in flesh, then the manure is al
ways less strong, than when he is gained fat
There is no manure so strong as that of fat
tening animals. An animal stabilized, KEEP,
in proper warmth, requires but liue of hi,
breathing food, to keep up his heat. All the
starch, gum, sugar, &c. go to form Fat
Having little use for his muscles or flesh, thai
suffers little waste, and the nitrogen which
should 60 to form flesh, is voded in dung
II il is she, no milk is given during this pc.
riod, for COW in milk, fats not.
The dung, then, of fattening animals, con.
tains more Of all the elements of food fol
plants, than at any other period, and j. ne.
euliarly rich in nitrogen. trusa, reader, il
Is not 50 long since you have met the wore