136 



MANURE. 



Girardin states the composition thus — ^ 



Water, ........ 79.72 



Matter soluble in water, ..... 5.34 



" " alcohol, .... 2.00 



Salts, . 4.23 



Fibre, . . 8.70 



18G. An important question here presents itself. How 

 much ammonia will 100 lbs. of cow-dung produce? The 

 ultimate analysis of this substance, that is, that analysis 

 which gives the proportion of the organic elements, is the 

 following: 



In 100 'parts of cow-dung^ — 



Nitrogen, . .505 



Carbon, . . . ' 204 



Hydrogen, .824 



Oxygen, 4.818 



187. From these data may be calculated how much am- 

 monia will be formed ; for one part of nitrogen unites with 

 three parts of hydrogen, to form ammonia, or in the atomic 

 proportions by weight : 



14 of nitrogen, or 1 equivalent. 

 3 of hydrogen, or 3 equivalents. 



17 of real or pure ammonia, or 1 equivalent. 



100 parts of fresh fallen cow-dung will afford, therefore, 

 0.607, or f of a pound, nearly, of pure ammonia, or 2.18 

 lbs., or about 2 lbs. 2 oz. of bi-carbonate of ammonia of the 

 shops, called sal-volatile, or salts of hartshorn, the carbonic 

 acid and water being 44 parts to 17 of ammonia. 



188. Cow-dung, then, the type of manures, resolves itself 

 hito geine, free alkali and salts. The salts, considering the 



:a^, 



