Farmyard Manure. 11 



dung is then exposed to the weather, the nitrogenized consti- 

 tuents which have been rendered soluble during the process of 

 fermentation are liable to be washed out by rain. The analyses 

 of fresh and completely rotten sheep's dung confirm my former 

 observations that in this way a great loss is incurred in valuable 

 fertilising matters. 



As a further proof of the fact that both fresh and rotten farm- 

 yard manure contains but a trifling amount of free ammonia, I 

 have to mention two experiments. 



The first was made with fresh horse-dung, or, more properly 

 speaking, with the recent droppings of horses mixed with straw ; 

 that is, horse-dung as found in stables before its removal to the 

 dung-pit. 



This manure contained in 100 parts : 



Water 76-60 



Solid matter .. .;> 'I.'".." 23-40 



100-00 

 The percentage of ammonia, which was driven 



out by long-continued boiling, amounted to . . 0*0033 

 Quicklime added to remainder expelled in addition 



to this quantity 0'062 p. ct. of am. 



The total amount of nitrogen in this manure 



amounted to 0'3S7 p. ct. 



Which is equal to .. .. ,,-,,'.-: 0-469 p. ct. of am. 



Or dried at 212 F. the manure contained 



Nitrogen 1*655 p. ct. 



Equal to ammonia 2*019 p. ct.' 



The second experiment was made with hot fermenting horse- 

 dung, taken from the middle of a heap of good farmyard-manure, 

 consisting chiefly of horse-dung. It emitted a strong and some- 

 what pungent smell, for reddened litmus paper inserted into 

 the neck of a bottle into which some of this manure was placed 

 turned blue after some time, showing that it contained some free 

 ammonia. The quantity of the latter, however, was very incon- 

 siderable, as will be seen by the following numbers, obtained like 

 those in the experiment with fresh horse-dung : 



Percentage of free ammonia in fermenting horse-dung 0'049 



Distilled with quicklime, it furnished additional .. 0'1103 p. ct. of am. 



This manure calculated in 100 parts : 



Calculated Dry. 



Moisture 68'74 



* Solid matters 31'26 100 



100-00 



C ontaining nitrogen .. ' 0-659 2-109 



Equal to ammonia -800 2-561 



