1908.] 



Farmyard Manure. 



165 



rapid fermentation, with a corresponding loss of ammonia. 

 The last three samples had been stored for eight or nine months 

 on the farm ; usually no great care is taken to consolidate 

 such heaps so that the rotting down process goes on rapidly. 

 In the above cases Dr. Dyer calculates that the loss in organic 

 matter had been about 40 per cent., and in nitrogen from 

 15 to 20 per cent, during the storage. 



From a consideration of the origin of the losses of nitrogen 

 which take place during the making of dung, and of the above 

 analyses, a good deal of guidance can be obtained as to the 

 practical management of farmyard manure, which must always 

 remain the fundamental fertiliser in the ordinary course of farm, 

 ing in this country. In the first place, since it is clear that the 

 most valuable part of the manure resides in the liquid, far 

 more care should be taken to preserve this than is usually 

 the case. Whether the dung is made in boxes or in yards 

 there should be sufficient depth to allow the manure to accumu- 

 late under the animal for the whole winter if need be, and the 

 floors should be rammed with clay to render them watertight. 

 Yards in particular should be constructed so that the accumu- 

 lated manure is not above the general ground line outside, 

 in which case there will always be a gradual soaking away 

 of the liquid. On the other hand, yards made thus below 

 the general ground level are apt to flood in heavy rain, so that 

 the excess of water has to be run off to waste by means of a 

 drain ; this can, however, be avoided by cutting drains outside 

 to keep land water from running into the yard and by seeing 

 that all the surrounding sheds are properly provided with 

 guttering. For real economy of litter, part at least of the yard 

 should be covered ; if the whole yard is covered a certain 

 amount of care is necessary to prevent the dung getting at 

 times too dry. Only just enough litter should be used to 

 soak up the urine, and in order to prevent the liquid working 

 up to the surface with the trampling of the beasts the floor of 

 the yard should run down to a slight hollow, filled at first with 

 something stiff like bean haulm or coarse peat moss, in which 

 the excess of liquid may collect. Above all, the manure should 

 be kept tightly trampled, because the greatest amount of loss 

 takes place when the urine falls on a thin layer of loose strawy 

 litter. The yards and boxes should be deep enough to carry 



