Loss of Nitrogen from Manure 311 



excluded as far as possible. Nevertheless, there was a 

 loss of nearly 15 per cent of nitrogen. 



In Maercker's experiments in Germany, twenty-four 

 steers were kept in box stalls for a period of 136 days. 

 Twelve of the steers were tied in deep stalls whose floor 

 and sides were cemented. Sufficient litter was employed 

 and the manure was allowed to accumulate under the 

 feet of the animals. The manure from the other steers 

 was removed daily and kept partly under cover, and 

 partly in an open yard. The compacted manure from 

 under the animals showed a loss of more than 13 per 

 cent of nitrogen, the manure in the covered heap showed 

 a loss of 36.9 per cent and the manure from the open 

 heap a loss of 37.4 per cent. 



In a subsequent experiment, the animals were re- 

 moved from the box stalls after a certain length of time 

 and the compacted manure kept untrampled for another 

 month. It was found that the untrampled manure 

 showed a loss of 35.5 per cent as against 13.2 per cent in 

 the manure taken directly from under the feet of the 

 animals. In a similar experiment at the Pennsylvania 

 station, the compacted manure in the stalls with ce- 

 mented floors showed a loss of 5.73 per cent of nitrogen, 

 while the untrampled manure showed a loss of 34.12 

 per cent. 



In view of the facts just presented, Voelcker and Hall 

 are quite right when they state that "If there be this 

 loss in the case of dung made under such conditions, 

 with all the precautions that are practicable under the 

 best conditions of farm management, and if we also 

 allow for what is retained by the animal, it may be 



