THE m\n\i;kmi:\t ok m.wlkks. UO 



The sides of tlie luap are eool and moist, and will retain the car- 

 bonate of aiuinonia, tiie a( ids uientiunrd also eoiniiij^ iiit(j play. 



The uiiiiiionia is iiiucli nion- likely to eseape from lliu top of the 

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

 neys, and when a fermenting manure-heap Ls eovend with snow, 

 these little chimneys an- readily strn. If you think the manure is 

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

 the manure down tirmly about the ehimneys, thusclosin.; them up, 

 and if need he, or if convenient, throw mure manure on lop, or 

 throw on a few pailfuls of water. 



It is a g<HKl plan, too, where conv<'nient, to cover the heap with 

 •oil. I sometimes do this when piliiiir manure in the field, not 

 from fear of losing atninonia, l)Ut in order ton-tain m<tisturo in 

 the heap. With proper precautions, I think we may .sifely dismi.ss 

 the idea of any si-rious loss of ammonia from fermenting manure. 



THK WASTE OK MANTKK FRo.M LEACHING. 



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

 amm.inia hy keeping and fernuntin-,' manun-. But this is not the 

 only <iut stion to he considered. We have seen th.it in 10,(MK) lbs. 

 of fresh farm-yanl manun-, there is about 04 lbs. of niimijcn. Of 

 this, about 15 lbs. are soluble, and 4'J lbs. insoluble. Of mineral 

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

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

 of tive tons of fernu-ntinir manure in a stable, the es<-ape of half an 

 ounce of carbonate of ammonia wouM make a tremendous snnll, 

 and we should at once use means to cheek the escajie of thi.s pre- 

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

 of fn'sii manure, nitrogenous matU-r, capable of forming over 

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

 soluble conilition. This njay be h-ached day after d-ay, slowly and 

 imjierceptibly, with no hvat, or smell, to attract attention. 



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

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

 rate it in a few minutes, and yet when» 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 ! T.ie loss is unques- 

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

 coarse nature of the mat<-ri:il. which allows the water to pass 

 throiigii it rapidly and without coming in direct contact with only 

 the outsiile 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 <"or analysis, the loss of 



