Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-11-27
Value OF A Co'0's Ercrements.

Few are aware Of the value OF the eX-
crements Of COW. They 90 much far
ther towards hquidatiug the expense of
her keeping than most farmers suppose.
and, consequently, the loss sustained by
neglecting to husband them is not appre-
eiated as 1t should be. If we can rely
upon what appears to be the careful cal
culations Of investigating men in this de
rectiou, the relative value Of a cows ex-
erements is as seven for solids to ten for
liquids.
There is = wide difference in the esti-
mated quantity OF urine annually voided
By a COW. Some tell us it is $4,000
pounds, others $4,000 pounds, and ST.
others 5000 pounds annually Farmer,
do not need to be told that these fgure,
differing 50 widely in amount are to be-
ascribed in the main to the feed being CIV
en- at the time The experiments were made
A COW fed freely upon pumpkins, eabbsges.
and other succulent food will void more
than double the urine she will if fed with
dry feed, such rs hay, corn fodder. etc
If this Is true, we are justS6ed in using
the average of these experiments for our
purpose in estimating Its value to Us as
manure We have then, on this basis
over 10000 pounds, but, to be on the
sure side we will call it $4,000 pounds,
or forty-one pounds daily. The analysis
Of this urine gives Us, in nitrogen and
potash, a market value Of $4,000, or, in
other words, We should have to pay To the
dealer in chemicals for the same amount
Of nitrogen and potash that l. found III
one years voiGing of COW $50 90 /
presume 10 many this statement appe-.
exaggerated. but, from all | have be. %
able to gather from many sources on e
subject. | think we are constrained 10 a.-
ceDt 10 as being true To this S3jUu.
money value Of urine, we are p al /
$500 as the money value OF the - i
excTements, making, In the Sggregarr,
5000. These figures look large, but |
DO not see how We can diSprove them
They have been arrived at by mos. care
ful experiments conducted BY iudicioGs
men. Boussingsult calculates me va.Ue
OF the urine annually vOided by a COW lt
$4,000. There Is TO doubt bu, that the
urine Is generally Undervalued. Il Is an
important matter TO save il. Our farmers
need it as a means Of replenishinc their
pockets. Various methods are adopted
for this purpose, by careful farmers. Tic
most common practice is the use of dry
muck, loan, sand, sswdust aud various
kinds Of mulch. Any Of these will ans
wer the purpose, used in proper quanti-
ties, under suitable conditions. Tncv
viii not insure against loss through ieaSy
floors, nor IN drenchins rains, it exposed
10 them uncovered by the side of the
barn. | saw barn cellar dug, the pas.
summer on the site of an old harm and
where the manure heap had been Tor May
years. The soil was saturated with the
sOakage as deep as the cellar was dug
how much deeper, | cannot tell u,
probably several feet There was grea,
loss here, as all can see. Manure ought
70 be protected from rains Or al once taken
to the fields and spread. In view Of the
facts herewith given, We have a basis for
determining how much We can place 70
the COWS credit as an Offset 10 the ,N-
pense Of their feed. Many farmers ca.-
cuIate that two tons Of good English Lly
% suffice for one animal through The le1i-
ing season. We will call it threo tol,,
which Is none too much, and We fad tia,
the excrements reckoned at their value
plant food will pay the bill. 1t is wei
for Us, however, not to lose sight of the
fact that these excrements are greatly en-
HANGED in value by the use Of grain, lin
seed and cotton-seed meals. Many Eng
lish feeders Of oil meals claim to find the
first cost Of the article in the increased
value Of their manure, thereby securing
as a clear profit, increase in growth, Aeso
and milk in consequence Of their use
New England Farmer.