SOIL CULTURE, CEREALS AND FRUITS. 9 



By Mr. Featherston : 

 Q. That is a good point too. 



By Mr. Erb : 



Q. In applying the rotted and fresh manure, you used the same quantities by 

 weight in each case ? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Still, your experience has been that a certain quantity of fresh manure when 

 rotted will lose half its weight ? 



A. That is correct. I wish to explain here that in rotting the manure for these 

 experiments, the plan adopted has been that which is commonly followed by farmers, 

 namely, composting it in the barnyard without any cover. We have found by care- 

 ful chemical treatment — the Chemist at the Experimental Farm has reported on 

 this — that you can rot the manure in absolutely tight vessels and with other proper 

 conditions as to cover and moisture, without wasting any very large part of the 

 fertilizing constituents. But these conditions are not practicable for the ordinary 

 farmer, and it is better to present such results as are had from following the usual 

 farm practice. 



By Mr. Featherston : 



Q. But you found the same difference in weights when the manure was rotted 

 in that way ? 



A. Yes, and there is a loss of valuable constituents, but not nearly as much 

 as there is when the manure is exposed and rotted on the ground in the ordinary 

 way. 



By Mr. Erb : 



Q. Have you ever conducted experiments taking a certain weight of green 

 manure and then taking the equivalent of that manure in the rotted form and see 

 the difference ? 



A. We have not tried the experiment in that way. I do not think it would 

 appear more conclusive than trying it the other way, that is taking equal weights 

 of rotted and fresh manure as we have done in the experiments reported on. 



Q. But I think you would show what a farmer would lose by allowing his 

 manure to rot ? 



A. It seems to me that is shown as clearly the other way. 



Q. The statement is made alongside of it that in rotting the manure it loses 

 about one-half in weight? 



A. Yes, that has usually been done. 



By Mr. Macdonald {Huron) : 



Q. What is the reason of that decrease, the elimination of water? 



A. A large part of the decrease in weight is due to loss of water. There is also 

 a loss of the fertilizing constituents which can be determined by chemical analysis, 

 and besides this there is a considerable loss in organic matter through the decom- 

 position of the fibre, straw, and other solid materials in the*manure, and during this 

 decomposition carbonic acid gas is given off. 



Q. There would not be very much weight in the carbonic acid gas? 



A. Yes, this is a heavy gas, a compound of carbon and oxygen. 



Q. Would that make the difference ? 



A. I think so. That process of decomposition, as far as it goes, is much the 

 same in character as combustion, only less complete. 



Q. Have you as much water in the rotted manure as in the green ? 



A. Usually about the same proportion. 



