rjQ MANURES. 



COMTOSITION OK S(il,Il) MaTTICU IN OnK GaM-ON 01' DlIATNINGS FROM 



FiiKsn Fahm-^'aud Manure. 



Ready formed iiiiiiiionia, (principally present,) as) TS 1^ 



Inimatc and nlnial(! ol' aniinoiiia, j 



Or<^anic. mailer, 7 10.81 



Inorjjanie matters (ash) 02r).80 



Total amount of solid malt(!r in one gallon of drainingn, 1357. "74 

 (Jontainin<^ idtrogcn, 31.08 



Equal to ammonia, 37.73 



025.80 of ash consisted of: 

 Silica, 9.37 



riiospliates of lime and iron, 72.05 



Carbonate! of lime, 59.58 



Sulplialo ofIim(>, M.27 



Carbonate! of magnesia, 0.95 



potash, 297.38 



Chloride of potassium, 00.04 



sodium, . 101.82 



It will be observed that these drainings contain about double the 

 amount of solid matter which was found in the liquid from the first 

 heap. Tlie conqjosition of tiiis solid matter, compared with that 

 of the solid matter in the liquid from the lirst heaj), moreover, 

 presents us with sonu; particulars to which it may be advisa- 

 ble brielly to allude. 



Ill the lirst place, I would remark, that notwithstanding the 

 greater conciMitration of tlie tliii'd li(|uid, as compared v^ith the 

 first, the proportion of ammonia present in the form of ammoniacal 

 salts was less, while the drainings from fresh dung contained the 

 larger portion of this element in llu; form of soluble organic sub- 

 stances. The most inq)ortant constituent of farm-yard manure, 

 i. c, nitrogen, is thus liiiMe to b(^ wasted in the drainings, wheth- 

 er they pr()ce(>d from intten or fresh manure, for in either case it 

 passes oir in a soluble state ol" combinalion. Wliile speaking of 

 (he nitrogen in th(> drainings of dung-heaps, 1 ought to mention 

 that in both the liciuids examined in detail, 1 have detected readily 

 the pr(\senco of nitric acid. In the li(]uid from fresh manure there 

 were ap[)arently mere traces of nitrates, but in that from rotten 

 dung the proportion of nitric acid was so considerable that I lu)ped 

 to be able to determine it quantatively. But I found the large 



