17 

 VI. 



CONTRIBUTION ON THE TREATMENT OF BARN-YARD 



MANURE WITH ABSORBENTS TO PREVENT 



THE LOSS OF NITROGEN IN FORM OF 



AMMONIA COMPOUNDS. 



H. D. Haskins. 



The value of barn-yard manure, and other waste products of the 

 farm, to maintain the fertility of the soil, are too well known to need 

 any further statement. The most economical treatment of farm 

 manures and vegetable composts, to prevent the serious loss of our 

 most costly essential element of plant food, namely nitrogen, 

 deserves our most serious consideration. The following list of 

 chemical substances are those most commonly advocated for use in 

 the preservation and composting of barn-yard manure, vegetable 

 composts and other waste products of the farm : Sulphate of lime 

 (gypsum), kainite, sulphate of magnesia (kieserite), sulphate of 

 potash-magnesia (double manure salts), and high grade sulphate of 

 potash. A series of experiments have been carried on in this depart- 

 ment for the purpose of ascertaining which of these substances was 

 the most efficient in absorbing ammonia compounds which are liber- 

 ated in the process of decomposition of barn-yard manure.* 



The first series of experiments covered a period of six weeks, and 

 the second series of experiments covered a period of ten months. 

 The results of the first tests were verified by the subsequent experi- 

 ments and the order of excellence of the ammonia absorbents was 

 shown to be as -follows: Magnesium sulphate (kieserite), potash- 

 magnesium sulphate, kainite, high grade sulphate of potash and 

 sulphate of lime (gypsum). 



In no case however was the total amount of nitrogen, which was 

 given off during the process of decomposition, entirely absorbed by 

 the fixer. 



*A detailed description of these experiments has been reserved for publication in our 

 annual report. 



