Table i shows the composition of the material just as it was col- 

 lected and taken to the laboratory. Table 2 shows the composition 

 of the different samples of hen manure all reckoned upon the same 

 basis of dry matter in 100 pounds. 



Samples B-i, 2 and 3 are richer than the others in nitrogen, 

 because the fowls received more animal food. Potash varies rela- 

 tively little. Phosphoric acid varies widely and must be greatly 

 affected by the amount of bone in the animal food given to the 

 fowls. 



The comparison between the amounts of nitrogen shown in Table 

 2 in samples B-i, 2 and 3 and between samples G-i and 2 is par- 

 ticularly instructive. It illustrates the fact that hen manure unmixed 

 with absorbents or chemicals suffers very rapid loss of nitrogen. 

 Sample B-2 differs from B-i only in the fact that the interval 

 between removal of droppings from beneath the roosts was longer. 

 The season of this experiment was March, and the droppings were 

 frozen a part of the time. During warmer weather the loss must 

 have been yet greater. G-2 though accumulating only during three 

 nights seems to have lost relatively more nitrogen than B-2, per- 

 haps because the house was much warmer than the one from which 

 samples B came ; although this seems an insufficient explanation for 

 the difference. 



Examination of Table i, especially comparison of the samples 

 B-I and B-2 shows that the fact that nitrogen has been lost is 

 obscured by the further fact that there has been an even larger loss 

 of water. The percentage of nitrogen in B-2 (Table i) is larger 

 than in B-i, but only because the former is dryer. Table 2 shows 

 that there has been a large actual loss. 



The free use of fine dry loam, or the admixture 

 Methods of of such materials as kainit, acid phosphate. 



Preservation. muriate of potash or land plaster, or of a com- 



bination of some of these will effectively pre- 

 vent loss of nitrogen. Loam alone must be used in quantities so 

 large as considerably to increase cost of handling. Either kainit, 

 muriate of potash or acid phosphate alone is effective, but the mix- 

 ture especially with the first holds the material too moist for conven- 

 ient handling. Plaster is somewhat less sure in its action, and if 

 largely used the mixture may form hard, dry cakes. Kiln dried pine 

 sawdust has been successfully used with kainit by the Maine Experi- 

 ment Station. 



