Farmyard Manure. 249 



been most carefully mixed before a sample was taken lor analysis. 

 The earthy matters I have every reason to believe were inti- 

 mately mixed with the manure ; and since the composition of 

 the entire mass has been calculated fi'om the data already fur- 

 nished, the general deductions which may be derived from my 

 experiments are not affected by this ci'rcum stance. In speaking 

 of the loss which this manure sustained in keeping, I will select 

 the more important fertilizing constituents for illustration, and 

 in reference to them bej; to make the followinGT observations : — 



1. The weight of the whole manure, when spread out in an 

 enclosed yard, amounted to 1(552 lbs. In this quantity were 

 present 4()"97, or nearly 41 lbs. of soluble organic matters. After 

 the lapse of six months only iGi lbs. were left in the manure ; in 

 nine months barely 5 lbs., and after twelve months merely 4 lbs. 



Thus only about 1-lOtli part of the original quantity ofsoluljle 

 organic matters was left over by keeping fresh farmyard manure 

 spread out in an open yard. 



2. The nitrogen contained in the 41 lbs. of soluble organic 

 matters amounted to 3'28 lbs. After six months only 1*19 lbs. of 

 nitrogen, in the state of soluble compounds, Avas left ; after nine 

 months little more than h lb., and alter twelve months only I of 

 a lb. In other words, the nitrogen in the state of soluble com- 

 pounds has disappeaied almost entirely in the course of a year. 



3. In an equally considerable degree the soluble mineral mat- 

 ters were dissipated in the manure. Originally the manure 

 contained 25"4o lbs. of soluble mineral matters. After six months 

 this quantity became reduced to 14'41 lbs. ; after nine months to 

 to (j'47 lbs., and after a lapse of twelve months to 5'52 lbs. 



On the whole the manure thus lost 78'2 per cent, of the ori- 

 ginal quantity of soluble mineral matters. 



4. Still more striking is the loss in insoluble organic matters. 

 In the fresh manure were present 425'G7 lbs. of insoluble organic 

 substances. In tlie course of six months these became reduced to 

 1(>3'79 ll)s. ; a further exposure of rather more than tlirce montlis 

 to the weatlier reduced this quantity to IOG'81 lbs., and after 

 twelve months merely 94"45 lbs. were left over. The manure 

 lost thus no less than 77"7 per cent, of the original quantity of 

 insolul)le organic matters. 



5. If we look to tlie total amount of nitrogen, we shall find 

 that the original j)roportion of nitrogen in the manure, amounting 

 to 9'49 lbs., was rcnhiced in the course of six months' to 7'70 ll)s., 

 after nine months to 414 lbs., and after twelve months to 

 3-88 lbs. 



At the conclusion of the experiment more than half tlie quan- 

 tity, or, in exact numbers, 59'1 per cent, of the nitrogen con- 

 tained in the fresh manure, was wasted. 



