114 Farmyard manure. 



immoderate lengthy period, and I may therefore be permitted to 

 state here the results in full. 



The sheep- dung operated upon was furnished to me by a 

 farmer residing in the neighbourhood of Cirencester, who kept 

 this dung for three years in a heap, probably with a view of 

 manufacturing it into a first-rate turnip manure. It was com- 

 pletely decomposed, appeared as a black greasy mass, and pos- 

 sessed more of an earthy than an animal smell. 



A well-mixed sample, on analysis, yielded the following 

 general results : — 



General Coraposition of Decomjiosed Sheep Dung (3 years old). 



In Natural State. Calculated Dry. ; 



Water 73-66 



*Solnl-)le organic matter 2-70 10-25 



Soluble inorganic matter 2-66 10'09 



flnsoluble organic matter 9-95 37-78 



Insoluble mineral matter 11-03 41-^8 



100-00 100-00 



* Containing nitrogen '157 -590 



Equal to ammonia '190 -716 



f Containing nitrogen -470 1'790 



Equal to ammonia -580 2-170 



Total amount of nitrogen -627 2-380 



Equal to ammonia -770 2-886 



A delicate reddened litmus paper inserted into the neck of a 

 wide-mouthed bottle, into which some of this sheep-dung was 

 placed, was not altered in the slightest degree ; there was thus 

 not a trace of free ammonia present in the dung. 



When boiled with water, a small portion of ammonia was given 

 off, but that quantity was so insignificant that I determined at 

 once the total amount of ammonia which existed in the dung in 

 the form of ammoniacal salts. This was done by distillation 

 with quick lime and collecting the liberated ammonia in hydro- 

 chloric acid, evaporation to dryness in a water-bath, and weighing 

 the residue consisting of sal ammoniac. 



Proceeding in this way, I obtained from 100 parts of com- 

 pletely decomposed sheep-dung — 



In Natural State. Calculated Dry. 



Ammonia .. .. _ -034 '129 



(In tiie state of ammoniacal salts.) 



It appears, therefore, that the amount of ammonia present in 

 the form of ammoniacal salts is exceedingly small. 



In separating the soluble from the insoluble portion some very 

 finely divided silica passed through the filter, and was obtained 

 in the soluble portion of the ash. 



