(d 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



473 



In the same waters he found of organic matter, 

 ammonia, and nitric acid : 

 Organic 



Matter. 

 700 

 7*40 



Nitric 



Acid. 



7-17 



1474 



Ammonia. 



. . 0018 

 . .. 0-018 



II.— Mineral Substances. 



3 12-50 12-72 0-018 



From these we perceive that the quantity of the 

 more valuable ])ortions of the soil removed by the 

 drainage water .is very small, and after contrasting 

 with these the small proportion of nitric acid and 

 ammonia furnished in rain-water, the Professor 

 was led to the following conclusions : 



That through every acre of land, whether na- 

 turally or artificially drained, there passes annually 

 a quantity of water equal to 42-4 per cent, of the 

 rain-fall, and that where this latter is 25 inches the 

 quantity of drainage water is equal to about 

 240,000 gallons in that space of time. That even 

 where the land is very highly manured this large 

 quantity of water removes from the soil only in- 

 considerable quantities of the most important 

 mineral ingredients of soils, namely, potash and 

 phosphoric acid. That the quantity of ammonia 

 carried off from land by the dramage-water is also 

 inconsiderable, but that nitrogen in the form of 

 nitric acid is, especially in highly manured land, to 

 be found in very large qviantity in the water of 

 land-drainage. That the quantity of nitrogen in 

 the form of ammonia and nitric acid in rain-water 

 is very much smaller than has been supposed, and 

 inadequate, of itself, to account for the na'ural 

 fertility that has been ascribed to it; and that it 

 is to these substances, as existing at all times in 

 the air, and absorbed from it by the soil and by 

 plants (especially the former), that we must look 

 for an explanation of such natural phenomena. 

 That the quantity of ammonia in rain is greater 

 than in drainage-water, which sufficiently attests 

 the absorbing power of the soil for this alkali ; but 

 that the nitric acid in rain does not account for the 

 quantity found in drainage even in the instances 

 where it is present in the smallest quantity. That 

 in all probability this nitric acid is due to the oxi- 

 dation of the nitrogenous matter of manures, and 

 especially takes place where such manures are of a 

 nature to prevent their perfect admixture with the 

 soil. That, lastly, the practical means which occur 

 to us of preventing so important a loss, are the 

 more perfect admixture of manures with the soil 

 by any method which may best accomplish that 

 end. 



The amount of organic and mineral substances 

 removed from the soil per acre in five years by an 

 ordinary crop of turnips, barley, clover, and wheat, 

 and restored to it in the farm manure, has been 

 calculated, from the results of various chemical in- 

 vestigations, to be about, in lbs., as follows {Jour. 

 Roy. Ag. Soc, vol. xiii. p. 560): — 



I. — Organic Matters. 



REMOVED. 



Carbon 1831 



Hydrogen .... 250 



Oxygen 1697 



Nitrogen .... 84 



Ammonia .... 102 



RESTORED. 



RESTORED. 

 348 

 310 

 135 

 32/ 



87 



21 



69 



125 

 128 

 140 



It is noticeable, that from the result of these ex- 

 aminations, it appears that the greatest nett loss to 

 the soil by the cropping of four years under the 

 four-course system is in the phosphoric acid — the 

 acid which is of all others the most universally 

 applied to our soils in modern artificial manures. 



It is an error to conclude that, even in cases 

 where all the hay and straw of the land is con- 

 sumed on the farm, there is no loss of fertile 

 matters from the soil : a very considerable portion 

 is carried away in the seed, and the bodies of the 

 live stock,andveryoftenamuch larger amount in the 

 wasteful mode in which the dung of the farm-yard is 

 j)repared. To this latter source of loss, Mr. Henry 

 Evershed in his prize essay has recently addressed 

 himself, when speaking of the proper use of straw 

 on a farm {ibid, vol. xxi. p. 153). He observes : — 



" With regard to live stock, I have seen them 

 thrive as well in warm, sheltered yards, open to the 

 sun, and well supplied with litter, as in the best- 

 appointed stalls, boxes, or covered yards. But the 

 litter is wastefully used, the manure less valuable, 

 and the amount of cartage greater. 



" The quantity of rain falling in a year, on a 

 yard 50 feet by 40 feet, at 25 inches per annum, 

 amounts to 25,967 gallons, weighing nearly 116 

 tons. During heavy rain a large quantity runs off, 

 carrying with it the soluble portions of the manure ; 

 but after making due allowance for evaporation, 

 there will remain many tons absorbed by the straw, 

 costing nearly 7d. per ton if carted a quarter of a 

 mile. In covered yards the dung is concentrated : 

 it is never washed ; and cartage— that costly item 

 — is reduced to a minimum. The quantity of straw 

 required to keep open yards in a comfortable state 

 depends of course on the weather, and also on the 

 kind of food given to the stock. Turnips and green 

 food increase the secretion of urine, and litter is 

 needed in proportion. 



" In ordinary years, and in open yards, with 

 sheds, fifty head of stock require, as litter, 300 

 tons of straw in nine months, from September Ist 

 to June Ist. This reckoning supposes ten horses 

 to be kept in the stable, whose litter is thrown daily 

 into the yards ; the rest being cows and fattening 

 cattle. The amount of straw used daily per head 

 is 48 lbs., or twice as much as is required under 

 shelter. 



" It is stated in an excellent paper on manure, in 

 'Morten's Cyclopedia,' that 20 lbs. of straw per 

 day are required to litter an ox, in a box containing 

 100 square feet. This agrees with the quantity 



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