+--------------------------+-------------------------------------------+ | | WHEN PUT UP. | | +---------+------------+---------+----------+ | | Nov 3d | April 30th | Aug 23d | Nov 15th | | | 1854. | 1855. | 1855. | 1855. | | +---------+------------+---------+----------+ | Weight of manure in lbs. | 2838 | 2026 | 1994 | 1974 | | +---------+------------+---------+----------+ | Water | 1877.9 | 1336.1 | 1505.3 | 1466.5 | | Dry Matter | 960.1 | 689.9 | 488.7 | 507.5 | | +---------+------------+---------+----------| | Consisting of-- | | | | | | Soluble organic matter | 70.38 | 86.51 | 58.83 | 54.04 | | " mineral matter | 43.71 | 57.88 | 39.16 | 36.89 | | Insoluble organic matter | 731.07 | 389.74 | 243.22 | 214.92 | | " mineral matter | 114.94 | 155.77 | 147.49 | 201.07 | | +---------+------------+---------+----------+ | Total nitrogen | 18.23 | 18.14 | 13.14 | 13.03 | | Equal to ammonia | 22.14 | 22.02 | 15.96 | 15.75 | +--------------------------+---------+------------+---------+----------+ In this case, during the winter six months, which were very dry, the manure lost 541.8 lbs. of water and 270.2 lbs. of dry matter, but the nitrogen remained completely unchanged. But during the succeeding semi-annual period, when rain fell abundantly, the quantity of nitrogen is diminished by nearly a third, while the water has increased, and the loss of dry matter by fermentation, notwithstanding the high temperature of the summer months, was only 182.4 lbs. The soluble mineral matters also, which increased during the first period, are again reduced during the second, until they also fall to about two-thirds of their maximum quantity. That this effect is to be attributed to the solvent action of rain is sufficiently obvious, from a comparison of the results afforded by the other heaps, which had been kept under cover during the same period, as shown below.