FERMENTING MANUKE. 



55 



tains about tlic same percentage of water. When ki'j)t in tlit; licap 

 until Aui^usl, the pcrcoulagL' of water is nuicli greater. Uf four 

 tons of such manure, tliree tons arc water. 



Of Nitrogt n, tlie most valuable inj^reilient of the manure, the 

 fresh dung, contained U.G-4 per cent ; after fermenting six mouths, it 

 contained 0.89 per cent. Six months later, it contained 0.65 per 

 cent, or about the same amount as the fresh manure. 



Of mineral matter, or ash, this fresh farm-yard mauure con- 

 tained 5.59 per cent ; of which 1.54 was soluble in water, and 4.05 

 insoluble. After fermentini,^ in the heap for six months, the ma- 

 nure contained 10.55 per cent of ash, of which 2.80 was sohiljle, 

 and 7.GU insoluble. Six mouths later, the soluble ash had de- 

 creased to 1.97 per cent. 



The following table shows the composition of the manure, at 

 ditFereut periods, in the dry st ite. In other words, supposing all 

 the water to be removed from the manure, its composition would 

 be as follows : 



COMPOSITION OP PRESH FARM YARD MANURE (NO. I.) EXPOSED. CALCULATED DRY. 



Wlienpul Feb. April ; Aug. 

 vp. Aov.l 14, ' .JU, 23, 

 3, 18.>1. law. I 1855. I 1855. 



Nov. 



15, 



1855. 



Soluble organic matter. . . 

 Soluble inorganic matter. 

 Insoluble organic matter. 

 Insoluble mineral matter. 



T..33 



4.55 



76.15 



ll.!)7 



Containing nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Containing nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Total amount of nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



Ammonia in free etato 



Ammonia in form of salts easily decom- 

 posed by quicklime 



Total amount of organic matter 



Total amount of mineral substances . . 



100.00 



.77 

 .93 

 1.92 

 2.33 

 2.00 

 3.26 

 .041 



.1.54 

 61.81 

 38.19 



100.00 



.72 

 .88 

 1.85 

 2.24 

 2.57 

 3.12 

 .023 



.159 

 53.00 

 47.00 



" A comparison of these different analyses," says Dr. Voekker, 

 " points out clearly the changes which fresh farm-yard manure un- 

 dergoes on keeping in a heap, exposed to the influence of the 

 weather during a period of twelve months and twelve days. 



" 1. It will be perceived that the proportion of organic matter 

 steadily diminishes from month to month, until the original per- 

 centage of organic matter in the dry manure, amounting to 83.48 

 per cent, becomes reduced to 53 per cent. 



"2 On the other hand, the total percentage of mineral matter 

 rises as steadily as that of the organic matter falls. 



