MANUliES. 93 



economy requires that the manures of the stable, 

 sty, and poultry -house, should be protected (as will 

 be hereafter described) as soon as possible after they 

 are made. 



LEACHmG. 



The subject of leaching is even more important 

 in considering the earthy parts of manures than 

 evaporation is to the atmospheric, while leaching also 

 affects the atmospheric products of decay, they being 

 absorbed by water to a great degree. 



A good illustration of leaching is found in the 

 manufacture of potash. When water is poured over 

 wood-ashes, it dissolves their potash which it carries 

 through in solution, making ley. If ley is boiled to 

 dryness, it leaves the potasli in a solid form, proving 

 that this substance had been dissolved by the water 

 and removed from the insoluble parts of the ashes. 



In the same way, water in passing through ma- 

 nures takes up their soluble portions as fast as liberated 

 by decomposition, and carries them to waste, and they 

 are lost to the manure. There is but a small quan- 

 tity of ash exposed for leaching in fresh dung ; 

 but, as the decomposition of the atmospheric part 

 proceeds, it continues to develop it more and more 

 (in the same manner as burning would do, only more 

 slowly), thus preparing fresh supplies to be carried 

 off with each shower. In this way, while manure 

 may be largely injured by evaporation, the soluble 

 parts may be removed by water until but a small 

 remnant of its original fertilizing properties remains. 



