350 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Nov. 
mixed with a fixing agent) is spread out upon a large 
surface, as when it is applied from the watering cart 
to a growing crop, thereby evaporating with great ra¬ 
pidity, is made evident by an experiment of D. Krutz- 
sek who found that the solid residue remaining after 
the evaporation of perfectly putrid yard liquid, con¬ 
tained 3| pr. ct. ammonia; while the same liquid, 
treated with an acid (fixer) before evaporation, gave a 
residue containing 12£ pr. ct. of ammonia. According 
to the estimates above given, the liquid manure yielded 
by each cow during a year, requires about 23 lbs. of 
sulphuric acid to fix its ammonia—if it be assumed, 
by way of example, that § of the urine is absorbed by 
the straw or litter and thus becomes a part of the solid 
manure, while the other f finds its way to the tank. 
To a pailful of tank liquor, may be reckoned £—£ lb. 
of sul. acid, and when the solid contents of the cistern 
are known, it is easy to calculate the total amount Of 
acid required to be added from time to time, every 
week, for example. In case the whole of the contents 
of the tank are applied to maintain the solid manure 
in a proper state of moisture, or to the preparation of 
compost, thus not being brought into direct contact with 
the crops, it is advisable to add yearly to the tank 
about 20 - 25 lbs. of acid for each head of cattle. The 
outlay cannot fail to be well repaid, though it must be 
confessed that the advantages in the last case are not 
so remarkable, as when the liquid manure is applied, 
as such, directly to the crops ; and this not because the 
action of the acid is not as perfect in one case as in the 
other, but for the reason, that when yard manure and 
composts are skilfully prepared, the loss of ammonia is 
very slight, even without the use of fixing agents. I 
therefore recommend before making any great outlay 
for fixing materials to be used in the improvement of 
solid yard manure or compost, to determine by accu¬ 
rate experiment on the small scale, what is the pioney 
profit resulting from their application, and thus ascer¬ 
tain if their use will pay ; but when the yard drain¬ 
ings are to be directly applied to crops, one can 
trust that the use of sulphuric acid in the proportions 
mentioned will yield an ample profit, will in fact, under 
favorable circumstances as to weather, &c., repay the 
outlay three to six-fold. It should be added that mu¬ 
riatic acid (spirit of salt, hydrochloric acid) may be 
used with the same results as sulphuric acid whenever 
it is cheaply obtainable. 
Treatment of Horse-dung. —The use of fixing 
agents has proved to be especially advantageous with 
such manures as are very rich in compounds of nitrogen. 
Of such character is the urine of the horse, and when 
horse dung, itself so heating, is to be moistened and 
brought to a proper stage of decay, by drenching it 
with the liquids that have drained from it, the employ¬ 
ment of chemical means for retaining ammonia is most 
necessary. 
In places where large quantities of horse-dung ac¬ 
cumulate, which must often lie several months, exposed 
perhaps to the summer heats, before it can be brought 
into use—the method proposed and carried into prac¬ 
- — 
tice by Schattenmann, will be found very useful, if it 
is desired to preserve the qualities of the manure a long 
time unimpaired. Such a preservation can only be ef¬ 
fected by artificially retarding the fermentation, which 
in case of horse-dung, may go on, as is well known, 
with such energy and fapidity as to cause even a 
spontaneous combustion of the mass. Schattenmann 
seeks to hinder the fermentation not only bj r letting all 
the liquids of the manure run into a capacious cistern, 
but he. drenches the fresh dung, especially in hot wea¬ 
ther, with considerable quantities of water, and collects 
the washings in the same cistern with the first drain¬ 
ings. By this procedure the dung is, on the one hand, 
saturated with moisture; and on the other hand, fer¬ 
mentable substances are dissolved out and removed, 
thus in a double manner hindering the too rapid pro¬ 
gress of the decay that soon supersedes. 
This treatment is improved upon by adding green 
vitriol, or where this is costly, dilute sulphuric acid or 
even plaster of paris to the collected liquids, in quan¬ 
tity sufficient to fix their ammonia, which may then 
be used to drench repeatedly the solid portions, as has 
been before written of, in connection with the manage¬ 
ment of common yard-manure. 
The urine of the horse evolves during its putrefac¬ 
tion considerable quantities of sulphuretted hydrogen ; 
to prevent its unpleasant odor it is well to use a few 
pounds of green vitriol in all cases, even when gypsum 
or sulphuric acid is depended upon as the chief fixing 
agent. 
Finally the manure of sheep may be treated as has 
been recommended for horse manure, especially when 
it accumulates in the yard during summer in considera¬ 
ble quantity, and does not remain in the stable under 
the animals. 
Peat coal as a fixing agent.*— Experiments 
have been made in Saxony with peat-coal which fully 
demonstrate its value as a means of retaining the vir¬ 
tues of liquid manure. By its use not only is the vo¬ 
latile ammonia held back, as when gypsum, sul. acid, 
&c., are employed, but it is carried into a less soluble 
combination whereby its leaching into the subsoil is 
hindered. Doubtless on many light soils, no inconsi¬ 
derable share of the ammonia contained in liquid ma¬ 
nure which has been treated with the other mentioned 
fixing agents, is lost by the action of rains. Beside 
this advantage, the coal has, as is well known, the facul¬ 
ty of absorbing any vapors of ammonia that may be 
floating in the air, or that are brought down in rains 
and dews. 
Finally the porous coal acts upon many soluble mine¬ 
ral salts, especially upon those containing potash in an 
analogous manner, though not in so high a degree. It 
renders them less soluble, and therefore more durable 
in their action, as they remain a longer time in the vi¬ 
cinity of the roots of plants. 
These properties are possessed in the highest degree 
by the exceedingly porous wood-charcoal: this is how¬ 
ever too dear in German}', to be used on the large 
scale. 
Peat or turf coal acts more favorably as a fixer, ac¬ 
cording as the original peat or turf from which it is 
prepared, is more of a light and woody nature and less 
mingled with sand and earth.” 
* On this topic the author goes into details, to translate 
which would make this article too long. I give you, there¬ 
fore, the substance of the statements in condensed form. 
S. W. J. 
