Value of Earth-Closet Manure. 
189 
A favourable opportunity of ascertaining the composition of 
the earth used repeatedly in one of Moule's earth-closets pre- 
sented itself when I received a sample for analysis which had 
been used four times in succession, and been dried each time 
after removal from the earth-closet. 
This sample furnished the following results on analysis : — 
Composition of a sample of Earth-Closet Manure used four times 
in succession, and dried. 
Moisture (loss on drying at 212° Fahr.) 1-49 
*Oiganic matter and water of combination 6"."i6 
Oxide of iron and alumina 14'o7 
Tribasic phosphate of lime (bone-phosphate) 1'46 
Carbonate of lime .'. 9'47 
Magnesia 2*20 
Potash 1-31 
Chloride of sodium '82 
Insoluble siliceous matter (clay) 62'12 
100-00 
Containing nitrogen "39 
Equal to ammonia -47 
The manure was perfectly inodorous and inoffensive in appear- 
ance. It contained about 1^ per cent, of bone-phosphate, but 
only "39 per cent, of nitrogen, equal to not quite J per cent, of 
ammonia, and consequently was not of great fertilizing value. 
The earth having been dried after each use by fire-heat, it 
occurred to me .that probably some of the ammonia might have 
been driven off^ by too great a degree of heat in the drying 
operation ; and I, therefore, was glad to receive for examination 
another sample which had been used five times in the earth- 
closet, and not been dried by fire-heat after the fifth removal 
from the closet, but been allowed to become air-dry. In this 
condition 1 found it to contain in 100 parts : — 
Moisture (loss at 212'= Fahr.) . . * 12-97 
*Organic matter and water of combination .. .. 7-78 
Oxide of iron and alumina 9-24 
Tribasic phosphate of lime (bone-phosphate) .. .. 1-05 
Carbonate of lime 9-19 
Magnesia 2-.57 
Potash -66 
Chloride of sodium -fi4 
Insoluble siliceous matter (clay) 55-90 
10-000 
* Containing nitrogen -41 
Equal to ammonia -49 
Like the preceding sample, it was quite inoffensive to the senses. 
Although it had been used five times, and had not been dried the 
