156 
Liquid Manure. 
compounds of ammonia are brought in contact with them, are 
still to some extent soluble in water. This fact explains likewise 
the different results which are obtained in ascertaining the ab- 
sorptive properties of soils for ammonia when limited quantities 
of strong or very dilute solutions of ammonia are employed in 
such experiments. If, therefore, 1000 grains of soil absorb in 
one particular experiment say '55 of a grain of ammonia, it does 
not follow that this quantity expresses the maximum proportion 
of ammonia which that soil is capable of taking up. 
3. In conformity with other experiments, a larger proportion 
of lime was found in the filtered liquid manure than in the liquid 
before coming in contact with the soil. 
4. The proportion of magnesia and sulphuric acid in the 
filtered liquid likewise is larger than in the original manure. 
4. It will be noticed that the amount of potash and chloride 
of potassium in the Tiptree liquid manure is very small. In- 
stead of diminishing, when brought into contact with soil, as in 
all the other experiments, the amount of potash in a gallon of the 
liquid manure left in contact with soil for three days was larger 
than in the liquid before coming in contact with the soil. It 
thus appears that the soil contained, like most clay soils, 
abundance of alkaline silicates, which yielded to liquid manure a 
certain small amount of potash and also of soda, in addition to 
the alkalies naturally contained in the manure. 
5. In conclusion, I would notice that the proportion of phos- 
phoric acid in the liquid manure, after contact with this soil, is 
very nearly the same as that contained in the original liquid. 
Scarcely any absorption of phosphoric acid thus took place, or, 
perhaps, more correctly speaking, the compounds of phosphoric 
acid which are formed in the soil are so inconsiderable in amount 
that there is sufficient water in a gallon of liquid to keep them 
nearly entirely in solution. 
Conclusions. 
With a view of saving trouble to readers who are not disposed 
to go through all the chemical evidence contained in the pre- 
ceding pages, I briefly notice in conclusion the chief points 
of interest which may be gathered from this account of my 
experiments. 
1. Liquid manure, in contact with soil, undergoes a number 
of chemical changes. 
2. These changes are greater in the case of clay and calcareous 
soils than in the case of sandy soils. 
3. Passed through clay, loamy, and calcareous soils, liquid 
manure leaves a considerable quantity of ammonia in the soil. 
4. Under the same circumstances, liquid manure parts like- 
wise with potash and phosphoric acid. 
