[ CHAPTER XII.]
FOODS WHICH MAKE RICH MANURE.
The amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, contained in different foods, has been accurately determined by many able and reliable chemists.
The following table was prepared by Dr. J. B. Lawes, of Rothamsted, England, and was first published in this country in the “Genesee Farmer,” for May, 1860. Since then, it has been repeatedly published in nearly all the leading agricultural journals of the world, and has given rise to much discussion. The following is the table, with some recent additions:
| TD Total dry matter. TM Total mineral matter (ash). Ph Phosphoric acid reckoned as phosphate of lime. P Potash. N Nitrogen. V Value of manure in dollars and cents from 1 ton (2,000 lbs.) of food. |
| PER CENT. | ||||||
| TD | TM | Ph | P | N | V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Linseed cake | 88.0 | 7.00 | 4.92 | 1.65 | 4.75 | 19.72 |
| 2. Cotton-seed cake* | 89.0 | 8.00 | 7.00 | 3.12 | 6.50 | 27.86 |
| 3. Rape-cake | 89.0 | 8.00 | 5.75 | 1.76 | 5.00 | 21.01 |
| 4. Linseed | 90.0 | 4.00 | 3.38 | 1.37 | 3.80 | 15.65 |
| 5. Beans | 84.0 | 3.00 | 2.20 | 1.27 | 4.00 | 15.75 |
| 6. Peas | 84.5 | 2.40 | 1.84 | 0.96 | 3.40 | 13.38 |
| 7. Tares | 84.0 | 2.00 | 1.63 | 0.66 | 4.20 | 16.75 |
| 8. Lentils | 88.0 | 3.00 | 1.89 | 0.96 | 4.30 | 16.51 |
| 9. Malt-dust | 94.0 | 8.50 | 5.23 | 2.12 | 4.20 | 18.21 |
| 10. Locust beans | 85.0 | 1.75 | .... | .... | 1.25 | 4.81 |
| 11. Indian-meal | 88.0 | 1.30 | 1.13 | 0.35 | 1.80 | 6.65 |
| 12. Wheat | 85.0 | 1.70 | 1.87 | 0.50 | 1.80 | 7.08 |
| 13. Barley | 84.0 | 2.20 | 1.35 | 0.55 | 1.65 | 6.32 |
| 14. Malt | 95.0 | 2.60 | 1.60 | 0.65 | 1.70 | 6.65 |
| 15. Oats | 86.0 | 2.85 | 1.17 | 0.50 | 2.00 | 7.70 |
| 16. Fine pollard † | 86.0 | 5.60 | 6.44 | 1.46 | 2.00 | 13.53 |
| 17. Coarse pollard ‡ | 86.0 | 6.20 | 7.52 | 1.49 | 2.58 | 14.36 |
| 18. Wheat-bran | 86.0 | 6.60 | 7.95 | 1.45 | 2.55 | 14.59 |
| 19. Clover-hay | 84.0 | 7.50 | 1.25 | 1.30 | 2.50 | 9.64 |
| 20. Meadow-hay | 84.0 | 6.00 | 0.88 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 6.43 |
| 21. Bean-straw | 82.5 | 5.55 | 0.90 | 1.11 | 0.90 | 3.87 |
| 22. Pea-straw | 82.0 | 5.95 | 0.85 | 0.89 | .... | 3.74 |
| 23. Wheat-straw | 84.0 | 5.00 | 0.55 | 0.65 | 0.60 | 2.68 |
| 24. Barley-straw | 85.0 | 4.50 | 0.37 | 0.63 | 0.50 | 2.25 |
| 25. Oat-straw | 83.0 | 5.50 | 0.48 | 0.93 | 0.60 | 2.90 |
| 26. Mangel-wurzel | 12.5 | 1.00 | 0.09 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.07 |
| 27. Swedish turnips | 11.0 | 0.68 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.22 | 0.91 |
| 28. Common turnips | 8.0 | 0.68 | 0.11 | 0.29 | 0.18 | 0.86 |
| 29. Potatoes | 24.0 | 1.00 | 0.32 | 0.43 | 0.35 | 1.50 |
| 30. Carrots | 13.5 | 0.70 | 0.13 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 0.80 |
| 31. Parsnips | 15.0 | 1.00 | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.22 | 1.14 |
* The manure from a ton of undecorticated cotton-seed cake is worth $15.74; that from a ton of cotton-seed, after being ground and sifted, is worth $13.25. The grinding and sifting in Mr. Lawes’ experiments, removed about 8 per cent of husk and cotton. Cotton-seed, so treated, proved to be a very rich and economical food.
† Middlings, Canielle.
‡ Shipstuff.
Of all vegetable substances used for food, it will be seen that decorticated cotton-seed cake is the richest in nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, and consequently makes the richest and most valuable manure. According to Mr. Lawes’ estimate, the manure from a ton of decorticated cotton-seed cake is worth $27.86 in gold.