THE MANAGEMENT (X? MANURES. 99 



The sides of the heap are cool and moist, and will retain the car- 

 bonate of ammonia, the acids mentioned also coming into play. 



The ammonia is much more likely to escape from the top of the 

 heap than from the sides. The heat and steam form little chim- 

 neys, and when a fermenting manure-heap is covered with snow, 

 these little chimneys are readily seen. If you think the manure is 

 fermenting too rapidly, and that the ammonia is escaping, trample 

 the manure down firmly about the chimneys, thus closing them up, 

 and if need be, or if convenient, throw more manure on top, or 

 throw on a few pailfuls of water. 



It is a good plan, too, where convenient, to cover the heap with 

 soil. I sometimes do this when piling manure in the field, not 

 from fear of losing ammonia, but in order to retain moisture in 

 the heap. With proper precautions, I think we may safely dismiss 

 the idea of any serious loss of ammonia from fermenting manure. 



THE WASTE OF MANURE FROM LEACHING. 



As we have endeavored to show, there is little danger of losing 

 ammonia by keeping and fermenting manure. But this is not the 

 only question to be considered. We have seen that in 10,000 Ibs. 

 of fresh farm-yard manure, there is about 64 Ibs. of nitrogen. Of 

 this, about 15 Ibs. are soluble, and 49 Ibs. insoluble. Of mineral 

 matter, we have in this quantity of manure, 559 Ibs., of which 154 

 Ibs. are soluble in water, and 405 Ibs. insoluble. If we had a heap 

 of five tons of fermenting manure in a stable, the escape of half an 

 ounce of carbonate of ammonia would make a tremendous smell, 

 and we should at once use. means to check the escape of this pre- 

 cious substance. But it will be seen that we have in this five tons 

 of fresh manure, nitrogenous matter, capable of forming over 

 180 Ibs. of carbonate of ammonia, over 42 Ibs. of which is in a 

 soluble condition. This may be leached day after day, slowly and 

 imperceptibly, with no heat, or smell, to attract attention. 



How often do we see manure lying under the eaves of an un- 

 spouted shed or barn, where one of our heavy showers will satu- 

 rate it in a few minutes, and yet where it will lie for hours, and 

 days, and weeks, until it would seem that a large proportion of its 

 soluble matter would be washed out of it ! The loss is unques- 

 tionably very great, and would be greater if it were not for the 

 coarse nature of the material, which allows the water to pass 

 through it rapidly and without coming in direct contact with only 

 the outside portions of the particles of hay, straw, etc., of which 

 the manure is largely composed. If the manure was ground up 

 very fine, as it would be when prepared for analysis, the loss of 



