Storage of Farmyard Manure. 



147 



certain of the investigators, such as Maercker, Schultze, 

 Dietzell, PfeifFer, Franke, Gotze, and Thurmann, confined 

 their attention, largely or exclusively, to laboratory experi- 

 ments, using for this purpose from two to twenty pounds of 

 material which was operated upon in glass flasks, metal 

 cylinders, or similar receptacles. On the whole, such experi- 

 ments cannot be relied upon to furnish results which are 

 capable of application in actual practice, for it is evident 

 that fermentation and other changes must proceed in large 

 masses of manure in a way that is very different, at least in 

 degree, to what takes place in a few pounds of material. 

 For certain purposes such experiments are no doubt useful, 

 though they must certainly be repeated on a more practical 

 scale before farmers can with confidence be advised to accept 

 the results they may furnish. 



An experiment of this type, conducted by Maercker and 

 Schultze, may be described. The manure employed con- 

 sisted of Jkg. of solid and i-75kg. of liquid faeces of the 

 cow, to which was added Jkg. of moss litter. This material 

 was placed in a series of flasks which received the sub- 

 stances indicated in the table, samples for analysis being 

 drawn at the end of 16, 36, 57, 161, and 310 days. As a 

 result it w^as found that all the agents had more or less 

 effect in preventing loss of organic matter, even lime, which 

 is generally supposed to hasten decay, agreeing with the 

 others in this respect. 





Percentage Loss of Organic 

 Matter at the End of 



16 Days. 



•-n 

 vD 



57 Days. 



161 Days. 



'-^ 

 0 



^^Fanure with nothing added - 





2-21 



4 "42 



6-48 



16-40 



29-88 



+ I '875 g. Phosphoric acid in 



the 











form of Superphosphate 





0-84 



1-31 



2-07 



2-1 1 



6 -88 



5' + 7*5 g- Phosp. acid 





0-93 



r-58 



2-66 



I -62 



8-65 



5 J + o'5 g- Hydrofluoric acid in 



the 











form of Potassium Fkioride - 





078 



1-24 



2-03 



5-65 



14-50- 



" + 2'5 g. Plydrofl. acid 





3-37 



5-50 



7-21 



io-6i 



13-95 



,, + ii'25g. Sulphuric acid 





0-89 



1-84 



2-83 



6-73 



12-90 



+ 22-50 g. 





I -06 



173 



3-07 



6-84 



11-32 



,, + 56 "20 g. Caustic Lime- 





Q-OG 



0-39 



I '42 



4-04 



9-05 



K 2 



