336 N. 11. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and "we procured a cask of finely ground plaster, (500 lbs.) 

 and placed it in one of our hovels in -wliicli were kept 

 through the winter ten head of cattle. A few quarts of 

 of plaster were daily sprinkled over the floor of the hovel 

 which was nearly water-tight. The same course we havo 

 pursued every winter since, from tlie belief that a portion 

 of the volatile carbonate of ammonia, generated by the de- 

 composition of tlic urine, manure, &c., would be fixed, or 

 changed to sulphate of ammonia, which is not volatile. 

 There seems to be a difference of opinion among agricul- 

 tural writers, in respect to the action of gypsum, when 

 mixed with guano, and other concentrated "manures. Some 

 contending that plaster will liberate the ammonia, whilo 

 others say it will not. Which party are right in this mat- 

 ter, we shall not here attempt to decide — but will state one 

 fact, about which there is no controversy; that is, if liquid 

 sulphuric acid and carbonate of ammonia arc brought in 

 contact by mixture, decomposition will ensue, the carbonic 

 acid of the ammonia will be driven off, and the free ammo- 

 nia will combine with the acid, resulting in gypsum of am- 

 monia. 



In 100 lbs. of gypsum there is about 46 lbs. of sulphuric 

 acid, (oil of vitriol.) It requires 400 lbs of water to dis- 

 solve one pound of gypsum. From this it seems that 400 

 lbs. "of Avater would only put less than half a pound of the 

 acid in a favorable condition to combine with ammonia, for 

 it is a very general law of chemical affinity, that when two 

 substances combine chemically, 07ic of them must be in a 

 jluid state. 



But we think that urine, especially while warm, possesses 

 greater solvent power over the gypsum, than water at tho 

 temperature of GO*. In the rear of our cattle, in one of 

 our hovels, there is a tight trough or gutter, 24 feet long, 

 14 inches wide, and 2 inches deep, in which the droppings 

 of the cattle are received. If we put plaster in the gutter, 

 and make no use of muck, or litter for bedding, in course 



