310 Bacteria in Relation to Country Life 



3,600 pounds by proper storing, or about 2,100 pounds 

 by improper storing. The differences do. not end here, 

 however, for the quality of the residual organic matter 

 is not the same in the two instances, and the effect pro- 

 duced by their application to the soil must necessarily 

 show corresponding differences in their rate of decom- 

 position there. 



The loss of nitrogen. Apart from the loss of organic 

 matter in the manure, the activities of the bacteria 

 involve also a loss of nitrogen. This may be evolved 

 either as a free gas or as ammonia. Beyond a certain 

 point this loss cannot be avoided even when the greatest 

 care is observed in the conservation of the manurial 

 constituents. In the experiments conducted at Woburn 

 in England in 1899, 1900, and 1901, the manure was 

 kept under the feet of the animals in box stalls having 

 cemented sides and a cemented bottom. Enough litter 

 was used to absorb all of the liquid excreta, no loss 

 could have occurred through drainage, and the com- 

 pacted condition of the manure largely excluded aerobic 

 fermentation. Notwithstanding all this, there was an 

 average loss for the three years of more than 15 per cent 

 of nitrogen. 



The manure thus made in the early winter was kept 

 under cover until early spring, care being taken to pre- 

 vent losses by drainage. Samples of the well-rotted 

 manure were taken in the spring and analyzed. A further 

 loss of 15 to 18 per cent of nitrogen was discovered. 

 Similarly, in the experiments made by Goodwin and 

 Russel in England, the manure was kept in a covered 

 box-stall and well compacted. Rapid fermentation 



