18 



ESSAY- 



takes place in the barnyard. The manure in its progress 

 towards decay or the formation of humus, unites with 

 the ammonia of the atmosphere, or that produced by 

 the decomposition of the manure, and especially the 

 liquid portion, becomes soluble, leaches into the ground 

 and is lost. This is by far the most important source 

 of waste, and we may/" consider, how it shall be best 

 avoided. 



A plan which early suggested itself was to carry into 



the barnyard a quantity of absorbent material like 



straw, muck, loam, sawdust or other substance which 



would drink up and retain the soluble constituents of 



the manure. There is no doubt that these substances 



wiU'have the effect designed if a sufficient quantity be 



employed, but a layer of any one of them has only a 



definite capacity, precisely like a quart measure. After 



the measure is filled we may continue to pour liquid 



into it for any length of time without having more than 



a. quart in the end. So with a layer of muck or any 



other absorbent material, it will continue to drink in 



soluble humus until it can hold no more, after which, 



all that is poured upon it runs through unchanged. If 



enough of any of these materials could be furnished, all 



the manure might be thus saved, but this is probably 



never clone. Aside from, the difficulty, the expense 



necessarily incurred makes it a very unprofitable mode 



of proceeding. We contend that no man can afford to 



transport the soil of his* farm to his barnyard for the 



purpose pf manuring it and then back again. " Even if 



he has a bed of muck to draw upon, .which in itself is a 



mass of insoluble humus, needing but* the addition of 



alkalies to neutralize the acids and render the humus 



e 



