Farmyard Manure. 



51 



Table showing Composition of entire Experimental Heap (No. II.), fresh 

 Farmyard Manure, under Shed. 



of six months. Or, calculating the loss in dry matter, for the 

 whole manure-heap in a dry state, we find that 100 parts of the 

 dry manure have lost, under cover, about 37 per cent, in solid 

 matters. The dissipation of organic matter is not attended with 

 any great loss in nitrogen, for it will be observed that the entire 

 heap contained in November, 1854, when first put up, 20'93 Ibs. 

 of nitrogen, and on the 30th of April, 19*26 Ibs. ; consequently, 

 about l lb. of nitrogen only escaped, in one way or the other, 

 during this period. 



It would appear that this inconsiderable amount of nitrogen 

 escaped by evaporation, in the form of volatile carbonate of 

 ammonia ; for the differences exhibited by the November and 

 April analyses, in the proportion of free ammonia and ammonia 

 in form of salts readily decomposed by quicklime, very nearly 

 correspond with a loss of about l lb. of nitrogen. 



Perhaps it may appear strange that the manure-heap No. I., 

 which was exposed to the weather, lost less nitrogen, in the 

 form of ammonia, during the first six months than the heap 

 under cover. But this apparent anomaly finds a ready explana- 



