42 Farmyard Manure. 



1. It will be perceived that the proportion of organic matter 

 steadily diminishes from month to month, until the original per- 

 centage of organic matter in the dry manure, amounting to 83*48 

 per cent., became reduced to 53 per cent. 



2. On the other hand, the total percentage of mineral matters 

 rises as steadily as that of the organic matters falls. 



3. It will be seen that the loss in organic matters affects the 

 percentage of insoluble organic matters more than*the percentage 

 of soluble organic substances. 



4. The percentage of soluble organic matters indeed increased 

 considerably during the first experimental period ; it rose, 

 namely, from 7*33 per cent, to 12*79 per cent. Examined again 

 on the 30th of April, very nearly the same percentage of soluble 

 organic matters as on February the 14th was found. The August 

 analysis shows but a slight decrease in the percentage of soluble 

 organic matters, whilst there is a decrease of 2 per cent, of soluble 

 organic matters when the November analysis is compared with 

 the February analysis. 



5. The soluble mineral matters in this manure rise or fall in 

 the different experimental periods in the same order as the soluble 

 organic matters. Thus, in February, 9*84 per cent, of soluble 

 mineral matters were found, whilst the manure contained only 

 4*55 per cent., when put up into a heap in November, 1854. Gra- 

 dually, however, the proportion of soluble mineral matters again 

 diminished, and became reduced to 7*27 per cent., on the exa- 

 mination of the manure in November, 1855. 



. 6. A similar regularity will be observed in the percentage of 

 nitrogen contained in the soluble organic matters. 



7. In the insoluble organic matters the percentage of nitrogen 

 regularly increased from November, 1854, up to the 23rd of 

 August, notwithstanding the rapid diminution of the percentage 

 of insoluble organic matters. For the last experimental period 

 the percentage of nitrogen in the insoluble matters is nearly the 

 same as in August 23rd. 



8. With respect to the total percentage of nitrogen in the fresh 

 manure, examined at different periods of the year, it will be seen 

 that the February manure contains about one-half per cent, more 

 of nitrogen than the manure in a perfectly fresh state. On the 

 30th of April the percentage of nitrogen again slightly increased ; 

 on August 23rd it remained stationary, and had sunk but very 

 little when last examined on the 15th of November, 1855. 



This series of analyses thus shows that fresh farmyard manure 

 rapidly becomes more soluble in water, but that this desirable 

 change is realised at the expense of a large proportion of organic 

 matters. It likewise proves in an unmistakable manner that 

 there is no advantage in keeping farmyard manure for too long 



