MANURE. 129 



ous decomposition, may also be ranked as geine. It 

 produces abundance of ammonia during decomposi- 

 tion, and probably is the great source of the evolution 

 of that gas, during the fermentation of cow dung. 

 Its proportion is very small, being only about a sixth 

 of one per cent. 



185. Without violence to chemistry, the compo- 

 sition of cow dung may be stated as follows : 

 Geine, 15*45 



Salts, 0-95 



Water, 83-60 



10000 

 In 100 lbs. hardly 1-6 of any value in agriculture ! 

 Only about 1-6 of cow dung is soluble geine. The 

 insoluble is converted to soluble by the action of the 

 evolved ammonia. 



186. An important question here presents itself. 

 How much ammonia will 100 lbs. of cow dung pro- 

 duce ? 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, *506 



Carbon, -204 



Hydrogen, -824 



Oxygen, 4*818 



