760 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vegetation experiments at tliis station have shown that the albumi- 

 noid nitrogen of manure has very little fertilizing effect, wliile the nitro- 

 gen in urine stands between ammonia salts and nitrates in this respect, 

 and the amid nitrogen is about as effective as the nitrogen of the urine. 

 For this reason the effect of the different methods of treatment upon the 

 forms of nitrogen in the manure was studied in the exijeriments here 

 reported. It was found that under the influence of putrefaction there 

 was a decrease of albuminoid nitrogen and an increase of amid nitrogen 

 in every case during the first IG days, but that thereafter under the 

 influence of microorganisms there was generally an increase of albumi- 

 noid nitrogen, this increase being especially marked in case of the lot 

 to which lime had been applied. The lime, therefore, in spite of its pre- 

 servative effect, reduced the fertilizing value of the nitrogen of the 

 manure. It favored the production of ammonia and probably as a con- 

 sequence nitrification. The opposite results in these respects were pro- 

 duced by the use of sulphuric acid, the larger application of which 

 preserved the manure about in its original condition as regards ammo- 

 niacal and nitric nitrogen. The i)hosphoric acid produced an effect 

 intermediate between that of the lime and the sulphuric acid. Although 

 the largest amounts of nitric nitrogen were not produced in the cases of 

 the last two preservatives, the largest amount of readily available nitro- 

 gen was present in the manure treated with them, as shown by analysis 

 and by vegetation experiments with white mustard. The more impor- 

 tant data of these experiments are given in the following table : 



Effectiveness of nitrogen in manure treated in different ways. 



It appears from these experiments that when manure is not properly 

 preserved a considerable part of the nitrogen is lost and the theoretical 

 effect of that wliich remains is not obtained. It is advisable, therefore, 

 when preservatives are employed to use them liberally. 



The loss of nitrogen in barnyard manure in the heap, M. 

 Maercker {Jahrh. agr, eliem. Vers. Stat. Halle, 189 5 ^ pp. 77, 78).— 

 In a sample of manure kept in a barrel witli a loose cover for 

 2^ months, the percentage of total nitrogen in albuminoid form 

 increased from 59.73 to 88.81, and the nitrogen in other forms decreased 

 from 40.27 to 11.19 per cent. In manure stored in heaps in the ordinary 



