508 



NATUEE AND PROPERTIES OF SOILS 



manure. The protected manure was stored in a bin under 

 a shed. The exposed sample was in a similar bin but unpro- 

 tected. 



Table OVIII 



loss op constituents from protected anb unprotected 



MANURE. 



Constituents 



Percentage Loss at 

 End of Six Months 



Percentage Loss at 

 End of One Yeae 





protected 



exposed 



protected 



exposed 



Loss of organic matter 

 Loss of NHg 



58 



19 







3 



65 

 30 

 12 



29 



60 



23 



4 



3 



69 

 40 



Loss of P2O5 



Loss of K2O 



16 

 36 







288. The fermentation and putrefaction of mamire.^ — 



In the process of digestion, the food of animals becomes more 

 or less decomposed. This condition comes about partly be- 

 cause of the digestive process and partly from the bacterial 

 action that takes place. Of these two influences within the 

 animal, bacterial activities are probably of the greater im- 

 portance as far as the breaking-up of the complicated food- 

 stuffs is concerned. The fresh excrement, then, as it comes 

 from the stable, consists of decayed or partially decayed 

 plant materials, with a certain amount of broken-down animal 

 tissue and mucus. This is more or less intimately mixed with 

 litter and the whole mass is moistened with the liquid excre- 

 ment carrying considerable quantities of soluble nitrogen and 

 potash. This mass of material, ranging from the most eom- 



^ Grood general disettssions may be f oun^ as follows : Lipman, J. 0., 

 Bacteria in Belation to Country Life, pp. S03-356; Kew York, 1911. 



Hall, A. D., Manures and Fertili'^ers, pp. 184-210; New York, 1921. 



For a teehnieal discussion see Russell, E. J., and Richards, E. H., Tlie 

 Changes Talcing Place Dwring the Storage of Farm Manure; Jour. Agr. 

 Sci,, Vol. VIII, Part 4, pp. 495-563, Dec, 1917. 



