THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. X. 



FEBRUARY 28, 1842. 



No. 2. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



ON THli! PRESERVATION OF MANURE. 



From the London Farmers' Magazine. 

 Sir, — You will be aware ihat the objects of^ 

 manure are to restore (o the soil those euhsiances 

 necessary (o the growth of plants, which are 

 removed in the crops. Though this perhaps is 

 not the only point to be considered when treating 

 on manures, it is evidently one of the utmost im- 

 portance. -The mechanical influence of the soils 

 is no doubt great, but iis consideration peculiarly 

 belongs to the cultivator. In the present letter, 

 I shall endeavor to draw your attention to those 

 manures which are calculated to increase the 

 nutritious properties of the cereal grains, and those 

 grasses which are the indirect means of giving 

 food to man. 



The substances removed by crops from the soil 

 must be restored ; some plants remove one class 

 of salts, some another ; but all those which are 

 fitted to the support of animal life take from the 

 soil the nitrogen contained in it. For all plants 

 cultivated for the use of man contain nitrogen, 

 and in proportion to the quantity of this element 

 so are the nutritious qualities of the Ibod. The 

 nuiriiious parts of wheat and all grain are in ftct 

 exactly of the same composition as flesh and 

 blood. The following is a statement of the 

 numbers : 



In gluten, the nutri- In blood, 

 tious part of wheat. 

 Carbon, - - - 54.603 54 56 



Hydrogen, - - - 7.-S02 6.90 



Nitrogen, - - - 15.59 15,72 



Oxvgen, sulphur, phosphorus, 22.286 22.82* 



This ehows that nitrogen is a very important 

 constituent in the food of man. 



To ill preservation in manure I shall now take 

 the liberty of calling your attention. 



Nitrogen is supplied to plants in a wild state 

 from the atmosphere f — in a cultivated state from 

 the soil and atmosphere. In manuring lands then 

 we rettirn to them the nitrogen which has been 

 taken from them in the crops, and we always 

 return it to them in the form of some compound 

 of ammonia. The goodness of manure, or its 

 fitness to restore the nitrogen to the soil, consists 

 in the quantity of ammonia, which is composed 

 of nitrogen and hydrogen, including those sub- 

 stances containing nitrogen which sooner or later 

 will be converted into ammonia or hartshorn by 

 the putrefactive process. 



Let us now consider the state of a heap of 

 manure, consisting of animal excrements, liqtiid 

 and solid, which contain large quantities of nitro- 

 gen in the form of ammonia ; let us consider, 1 

 "say, this heap of manure lying exposed to the 

 influence of the weather during a hot summer. 

 The nitrogenized parte are gradually converted 

 into ammonia, and the greater part of this am- 

 monia is volatilized and carried into the aimo- 

 fiphere. We cannot have failed to remark the 



* Annalen der Ohemie und Pharmacie, xxxix. 149. 

 t Liebig, Affr. Chem. 

 Vol. X.— 7 



smell of this body when passing by a heap of 

 manure in a hot day, even though we be at a 

 considerable distance (i-om the spot where the 

 manure is deposited ; to taint so large a quantity 

 of air with its smell, would require a largequantity 

 olammonia ; and what passes into the atmosphere 

 is comparatively lost to the agriculturist, or it does 

 him no more good than his neighbors, for it is 

 carried down by the rain and spread equally over 

 the country. 



Ammonia or hartshorn possesses the properties 

 in common with all alkalies of uniting with acids, 

 and forming with them in most cases compounds 

 of sparing volatility. All aluminous minerals and 

 those containing peroxide of iron possess also the 

 power of condensing the volatile alkali in such a 

 manner that it is not carried away and lost by 

 every gust of wind Ihat passes over the dunghill. 

 Alumina and peroxide of irop are in fact very 

 near!}' allied, and possess the properly of com- 

 bining with ammonia in common, one being 

 isomeric with the other. Ammonia, the active part 

 of manures, may be rendered fixed, it has been 

 said, by acids, and you will allow me to point out 

 the practicability of this plan in the first instance. 

 Iniimiethat has undergone putrefaction, am- 

 monia exists as carbonate, phosphate, lactate, &c. ; 

 the first of these sails is continually evaporating, 

 and amm.onia is set free from all the other salts by 

 adding lime, which is a practice too common. 

 Let us now suppose a manure consisting of these 

 salts mixed with organic matter, to be watered 

 with a weak solution of sulphuric acid (oil of 

 viiriol) ; the salts of ammonia are decomposed 

 and a sulphate formed — this sulphate is quite fixed. 

 The composition of this sulphate of ammonia is 

 per cent, ammonia 39.48, sulphuric acid 60.52. 

 For every 60 pounds of sulphuric acid employed 

 (and it costs but a penny a pound), 39.48 pounds 

 of ammonia are fixed in the manure, and may be 

 kept for any period of time without loss. 



We shall see the advantage of this method of 

 proceeding by following the annexed calculation : 

 — 100 pounds of hay contain one pound of nitro- 

 gen, and every hundred parts of ammonia contain 

 S2.5A per cent, of the same element. For every 

 hundred pounds, then, of ammonia, conveyed to 

 the soil in this manner, there will be produced, 

 supposing all the nitrogen to be assimilated in the 

 proportion to form hay, 82,000 pounds of hay. 



Calculating the advantages at a much less 

 rate than the above, the profit in nitrogenizedjparta 

 that will be produced will amply repay the agricul- 

 turist for the trifling outlay in sulphuric acid. In- 

 deed, no opportunity of preserving the ammonia 

 produced by animals should be neglected ; a few 

 pounds of sulphuric acid being mixed in a diluted 

 state with the manure would be of immense 

 advantage. Throwing down sulphuric acid in 

 all places whern excrementiiious matter collectF, 

 would be a never (iailing source of nitrogen, con- 

 taining manure laid up in a safe form ready /or 

 use. The absurd practice of using lime for re- 

 moving those smells caused by ammonia cannot 

 be loo much deprecated, as lime immediately eel 



