350 
* Of this °046 per cent. consisted of organic matter, and °052 per 
cent. of mineral matter, this latter being mostly sulphate of lime. 
There was mae a trace of chlorine in it but a marked quantity of 
TateHtCS was present. 
n the ex awiation of the manure and soil alike there was not 
seed anything leading to the belief that disinfectants, deo- 
a &c., had been used with the manure. 
“To come next to anything that sire possibly have ae the 
losses experienced with the plants in consequence of using the 
manure in question—it does not appear, from my seatitiation, that 
any mineral acid or the like has been used with the manure, nor do 
I think that any disinfectant, such as carbolic acid, has been 
employed with the manure. Yet the evidence you have kindly 
collected and put at my disposal does undoubtedly tend to show brn 
ill results have followed the use of this particular manure. e, 
therefore, carefully considered the matter from the light of praciaed 
experience an sg ge this with such facts as the analyses 
have brought ou 
” Undoubtedly ‘there is a strong prejudice among gardeners, a 
market gardeners in particular, against the use of farmyard manure 
made with Peat-moss litter. To what that prejudice is due I bys 
not been able exactly to find out. But there remains the fact that 
question was not absolutely fresh but had been kept some time, 
though, it would appear, nothing like the two years mentioned. 
“T have come to the conclusion—from my examination—that the 
ill effects in the present case are due to the marked acidity of the 
manure, this acidity being due to organic acids in the manure and 
not to mineral ones. I find in the soil (in which the manure has 
been used) iron compounds present in the ferrous—or not fully 
oxidised—condition, and it would seem to me likely that these are the 
result of the liberal use of an organically-acid body such as the 
peat-moss, and that an unhealthy, imperfectly oxidised condition of 
the soil has been brought about. 
“ Very probably if the manure be kept longer and allowed to rot 
more thoroughly, it becomes more aerated and oxidised, and then 
would not show the ill effects noticed. 
“This, it seems to me, is a possible explanation of what has 
occurred in the present — and it is the explanation, at least, 
which would suggest itself to me.’ 
For the purpose of seainal the following — of farm- 
ard manure is taken from the article on Manures in the new 
edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, written i De. Voelcker. 
“Farmyard manure consists of the solid and liquid excreta of 
animals mixed with the material used as litter. Its composition 
principal determining factors are: (1) the nature ane age of the 
and quantity of litter used ; (4). whether it be ma ae in feeding 
boxes, covered yards, or open yards ; (5) the length of time and the 
way in which it has been stored. 
