Farmyard Manure. 



FRESH FARMYARD MANURE. 



Difficult as it is to prepare several tons of dung of a tolerably 

 uniform character for the experimental heaps, the difficulty is 

 greatly enhanced when a sample fit for analysis has to be chosen. 

 For analytical purposes large quantities are inadmissible ; and it 

 becomes therefore a matter of great importance thoroughly to 

 prepare the small proportion of manure which can be employed 

 in actual analysis as carefully as possible. To this end I spread 

 out a weighed quantity of about 20 Ibs. of fresh dung, pre- 

 viously well mixed in the manure-pit, thoroughly pulled it 

 to pieces, and then allowed it to become air-dry, by keeping 

 it for some days in a safe place, in a heated room. The 

 partial loss in moisture having been ascertained by the dif- 

 ference in the second weight, as compared with that of the first : 

 the whole of the partially dried manure was passed through a 

 common coal-sieve ; and the pieces of long straw which refused 

 to pass through the meshes of the sieve were cut in small pieces 

 with a large pair of scissors : 1 Ib. of the partially dried and 

 now much more thoroughly mixed manure was then dried in a 

 water-bath, at 212, until it ceased to lose in weight. The loss 

 calculated for the original quantity of manure, and added to the 

 loss which it sustained in becoming air-dry, gave the total per- 

 centage of moisture in the fresh dung. Another quantity of the 

 partially dried manure, amounting to 1000 grains, was employed 

 for the analysis, taken in hand on the 3rd of November, 1854. 



This analysis furnished the following general results : 



General Composition of Fresh Long Dung (composed of Horse, Cow, and 



Pig Dung). 



Made Nov. 3, 1855. 



Containing nitrogen 

 Equal to ammonia 

 Containing nitrogen .... 

 Equal to ammonia 



Total per centage of nitrogen 

 Equal to ammonia 



100-00 



149 

 181 

 494 

 599 



643 

 780 



100-00 



44 



53 



146 



177 



1-90 

 2-30 



