54 



TALKS ON MANURES. 



place of well-rotted duns:. * * Tlic farmer will, therefore, al- 

 ways be compelled to submit a portion of home-made dung to 

 fermentation, and will find satisfaction in knowing that this pro- 

 cess, when well regulated, is not attended with any serious de- 

 preciation of the value of the manure. In tlie foregjing analyses 

 he will find the direct proof that as long as heavy showers of rain 

 are excluded from manure-heaps, or the manure is kept in water- 

 proof pits, the most valuable fertilizing matters are preserved." 



This experiment of Dr. Voelcker pnnes conclusively that manure 

 can be kept in a rapid state of fermentation for six montlis during 

 winter, with little loss of nitrogen or other fertilizing matter. 



During fermentation a portion of the insoluble matter of the 

 dung becomes soluble, and if tiie manure is then kept in a heap 

 exposed to rain, there is a great loss of fertilizing matter. This is 

 precisely what we sliould expect. We ferment manure to make it 

 more readily available as plant-food, and when we have attained 

 our object, the manure should be applied to tlie land. We keep 

 winter appk's in the cell.ir until they get ripe. As soon as they are 

 ripe, they sliould be eaten, or thry will rapidly decay. This is well 

 understood. And it should be equally well known that manure, 

 after it has been fermenting in a heap for six mcmths, cannot safely 

 be kept for another six montlis exposed to the weather. 



Tlie following table s'lows the composition of 100 lbs. of the 

 farm-yard manure, at different periods of the year : 



COMPOSITION OP 100 LBS. OP PI5ESH PAHM-YARD MANTHE (NO. I.) EXPOSED IN 

 NATURAL STATE, AT DIPPERKNT PERIODS OP THE YEAB. 



Whenput 

 up. Nod. 

 3, lS.-)4. 



Ffh 1-1,1 /t/w. 30. 

 ia").5. 1855. 



Anq.^.\Nm. 15, 

 18.55. 18.55. 



Water 



Soliil)!e orsanic matter 



Soluble inorganic inalter. . 

 Insoluble ori^aiiic mutter. . 

 Insoluble mineral matter.. 



Coiitaininij nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Containing nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Total amount of nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Ammonia in a free state 



Ammonia in form of salts easily de- 

 composed by quicklime 



Total amt. of oriranic m.itter 



Total amt. of miner.il substances.. 



(■,(!. 17 

 a-is 

 l.-5t 



!J5.7C. 

 4.05 



100.0!) 

 .149 

 .181 

 .494 

 ..599 

 .r>43 

 .7H0 

 .0.34 



.088 

 28.21 

 5..59 



69.8.3 

 3.S« 

 2.97 



18.44 

 4.90 



100.00 

 .27 

 .3! 

 .47 

 ..57 

 .74 

 .89 

 .019 



.Ofil 

 2-).3') 



7.87 



65.95 

 4.27 

 2.86 



19.23 

 7.69 



75.49 

 2.95 

 1.97 



12.20 

 7..39 



74 29 

 2.74 



1.87 

 10.89 

 10.21 



100.00 

 ..30 

 ..% 

 .59 

 .71 

 .89 

 l.t)7 

 .008 



.085 

 23.. 50 

 10..55 



100.00 

 .19 

 .23 

 .47 

 .(!2 

 .06 

 .R5 

 .010 



100.00 

 .18 

 .21 

 .47 

 ..57 

 .r)5 

 .78 

 .(KMJ 



.038' on 

 15.15 I r.r..3 



9 3'i 1-'0< 



It will be seen that two-thirds of the fresh manure is water. 

 After fermenting in an exposed heap for six mtrnths, it still cou' 



