16 
MANURES. 
and without going into the chemistrj of ammonia 
further, or the mode of calculating how much ammo¬ 
nia a pound of nitrogen will make, it may be laid 
down, and must be remembered, too, that every pound 
of nitrogen may be called two and a half pounds of 
sal volatile, or smelling salts, of the smelling bottle. 
Two and a half pounds of volatile ammonia formed 
from one pound of nitrogen. If, then, we can deter¬ 
mine, as chemistry may, how much nitrogen exists or 
forms a part of manure, two and a half times that will 
be Lhe ammonia of that manure. If then the vegeta¬ 
ble part of manure is, as we have said, valuable and 
active, in proportion to its degree of being dissolved 
by water, then, as ammonia gives it this easy solu¬ 
bility, we may safely say, that the quantity of nitro¬ 
gen in manure is the measure of the value of its 
vegetable part. One thing must be guarded against, 
not to place from this view the whole of the value of 
manure upon its ammonia. Remember that manure 
consists of carbon, water, and salts. The whole are 
equally essential to its action. There is no eye, nor 
ear, nor foot, nor hand in manure, which may say to 
the other members, “ I have no need of thee.” The 
whole act together; but it is not to be doubted, that 
ammonia is the heart of manure, and keeps up the 
Healthy circulation among the other members. 
SECTION II. 
SHOVELLING OVER THE COMPOST HEAP. 
The above remarks may be called our compost 
heap. It must be well shovelled over. You must, 
reader, before you cart it out and spread it, under¬ 
stand well what this compost contains. Now just let 
