Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-11
Value OF the Dung and Urine OF
Different Animals.

Colonel Sprague, in paper read before
the Merino Sheep Breeders Association, gave
tables to show that sheep manure, liquid
and solid together, contains more of the fer
tilizing elements, (nitrogen, potash, phos-
phoric acid magnesia and lime) than that
of any other domestic animal. He might
have gone farther, had he been so disposed,
and shown in the same way that their ma
nure is still richer. But the whole question
so presented is delusion, leading to no
practical results of value, but likely to mis-
lead those who have never given proper
thought to the subject. No animal has any
power Of producing" manure, independent
of what is contained in the food it consumes.
In different animals consuming the same
kind of food in equal quantities the strength
of the manure will appear to be greater UNI
der chemical analysis in proportion to the
less amount of water it contains. From the
same quantity of feed, therefore, the. manure
of cattle will be the least concentrated; that
of horses NEXT then pigs; then sheep; and
then poultry but the quantity will be
smaller in proportion as the quality is better.
This point Colonel Sprague seems to be un-
aware of. But again, the rule given above
is on the supposition that the equal con-
sumption of food is attended with only
equal gain in bone, flesh, fat, milk, wool
and eggs. If one set of animals proftably
appropriates more than another from the
r -
animals will be poorer, but how much poorer
depends upon what elements were taken
from the food to supply that growth. If
the increase is in fat, merely, but little is
taken, whether that fat be tallow, lard or
butter. If it be bone, then there is a heavy
draught upon the phosphoric acid, lime and
magnesia If it be in heterogeneous matter,
such as lean flesh, cheese or wool, then the
manure will be that much poorer in its nj
trogenous elements, which are its most
costly. Yet as nitrogen is more valuable in
meat, cheese and wool than in dung and
urine, the animal that works the most of it
into these products is the most profitable,
compared with those who cast it out as ex-
crement 1t is easy to see, therefore, that
Colonel Sprague's argument in regard to the
value of the manure of sheep, if sound, is
an argument against the profit of keeping
them, since it shows low capacity in sheep
to give us nitrogen in its most valuable
forms, that of meat and wool. But happily
it is not sound, inasmuch as he omits from
consideration the important fact that while
ton Of sheep manure is worth much more
than ton of COW manure yet the sheep con-
Stunning the same quantity of feed as COW
will not make nearly as much weight of
manure. The most and perhaps all of the
difference will be in the greater quantity of
water in the cows manure yet the point is
here made plain that the whole question of
profit turns, not upon the question which
manure is worth the most, but which works
up its food into the most profitable products.
Manure is the least profitable or valuable of
all the products of our domestic animals.
II we could have animals that could assimi
late all their food, and make no manure
animals, that is, which would give us the en-
tire weight of their food in merchantable
products of high value, we should be glad
As we must, in the order of nature, receive
back portion in the form of manure
(worth good deal, it is true, but less than
any other animal product,) it is our object
to get as much as we can in the more profit
able FORMS and that is the true point of
choice between different kinds of animals,
as also between different breeds of the same
kind.
To make out his case to the satisfaction of
intelligent readers Colonel Sprague should
show that in the meat and ,cool of his sheep,
and not in the excrements, are to be found
the best constituents of the food they con-
sumo. For just in proportion as the ma
nure of domestic animal is of high value,
the other products are of low value, accord
ing to the food given. That is the reason
Of the high fertilizing value OF human ex-
crement. The human animal yields from
its body no valuable product, and conse-
quently the fertilizing elements of its food
all reappear in the excrement