Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-05-23
-AGRICULTURAL.
For the Sentinel.
Improvement Of Land.
NO. vi.
NO. VI

In this communication propose to treat CT
the chemical distinction between animal and |
vegetable matter; in what they differ, the cause
OF this difference, and how the digestion Of
vegetable matter improves its value as ma
nure.
The characteristic distinction between ami
NAL and vegetable matter is this: that the for
sncr contains much larger proportion Of nj
trogen than the latter. In consequence Of their |
containing so much nitrogen, animal snbstan-
ces are further distinguished by the rapidly |
with which, when moist, they purify or run
TO decay During this decay the nitrogen they |
contain gradually assumes the form of ammo
MA When this ammonia is permitted to es-
cane the manure is found TO be less active |
upon vegetation than before, which leads me
TO suppose that to this ammonia and the com
pounds formed along with it, The peculiar vir-
tue Of ammonial manure is in a great measure
to be asoribed.
Vegetable substances, on fhe other hand do
not decay so rapidly and emit little or no odor
Of ammonia when fermenting This form of
manure does not exhibit the same immediate
and remarkable action upon vegetable growth
as is displayed by almost every substance of
animal origin. There are, Of course, excep-
lions to this rule, rs the crushed seeds Of plants
produce the effect on many crops little inferior
TO that Of animal manures
The question now arises, whence do animal
Substances derive all their nitrogen.
The only explanation can ollsris a bfief
reference to one common natural principle.
Animals have two necessary vital functions
TO perform, to breathe and TO digest. Both
are Of equal Importance to the health and gen
epal welfare Of the animal The digester re-
ceiyes the food, melts il down, extracts from
it those substances which are best suited TO
supply the wants of the body, and sends them
forward into the blood. The breahers lift
gested food, combine oxygen with it, and ex-
tract carbon, which they discharge 10 the form
ofcarbonic acid into the air.
Suppose animal to be full grown, like a
full grown man all that he eats MS food is in
tended merely 10 renovate or repenish his sys-
w
from every part OF his body by natural canses.
The vegetable food, by respiration, Is freed
from large portion Of its carbon, which is
discharged into the air, while nearly the whole
Of the nitrogen remainssbehiad. 4Itis oat 81
this residue, rich in nitrogen, that the several
parts Of animal bodies are built mp II Is Iii
same residue also which after ii has performed
its functions within Tie body, Isl discharged
again in the form Of solid and liquid cxcre
tons. Hence the greater richness in.nitrogen
in other words, the greater fertlizing power
possessed by the dung Of animals, than BY lii,
food on which they live.
This digestcd food contains all the salin,
matter, as well as nearly al the nitrogen
which enters the stomach Of The animal: there
fore the DUNG must be richer Ia saline matte
chan the vegetable food and therefore must b,
more ferlilizine ii its effects upon the land.
The manure of the COW. taking Il mixed i
not 50 rich. IN. nitrogen as that Of man. II i,
trne that the COW. owing to its larper bulk anf
1arger lunps. piyes Off nerhans eioht or min,
lines MS much carbon by respiration. as d,
active full rrown man. bnt he weight Of il
-
faoa sill, further exceeds that Of 4 health,
man
The fert;lizino newer &C animal manures !,
GENERAL is dependent like tbat.of The soil If
self mon tho hannv a,,mixtnre they contai
Of great number Of these substances whic
are required by all plants in the universal veg
citation Of The globe, Nothing they contain
therefore. is without lis share If influence m
an their general effects: vet tle elements Of Il
troren present in each affords one Of the read
st and most simp,e tests by which their rel,
i've agricultural values. compared with tho,
II vegetable matters. and With each. other. ca
be nret,v nearly estimated.
NIGHT soil is probably the most valuable
all the solid animsi mannres. 1t varies
richness with the food taken. ri contai
much soluble and saline matter, and as it
made IN from the constituents Of the food '
eai Of course Il contains most Of those el
mentary substances which are necessarsto /
growth of the plant on which we principal
i've. In the COW, for instance so much Of t
saline and soluble organic matters in the e
eretions mass off in The LIQUID form. that
anne correctly called cold, since il does n