Composition of Fresh Farm-Yard Manure (No. I.) Exposed. Calculated Dry. -------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- |When put|Feb. 14,|Apr. 30,|Aug. 23,|Nov. 15, |up, Nov.|1855. |1855. |1855. |1855. |3, 1854.| | | | -------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- Soluble organic matter | 7.33 | 12.79 | 12.54 | 12.04 | 10.65 Soluble inorganic matter | 4.55 | 9.84 | 8.39 | 8.03 | 7.27 Insoluble organic matter | 76.15 | 61.12 | 56.49 | 49.77 | 42.35 Insoluble mineral matter | 11.97 | 16.25 | 22.58 | 30.16 | 39.73 +--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | | | | | Containing nitrogen | .44 | .91 | .88 | .77 | .72 Equal to ammonia | .53 | 1.10 | 1.06 | .93 | .88 Containing nitrogen | 1.46 | 1.55 | 1.75 | 1.92 | 1.85 Equal to ammonia | 1.77 | 1.88 | 2.12 | 2.33 | 2.24 Total amount of nitrogen | 1.90 | 2.46 | 2.63 | 2.69 | 2.57 Equal to ammonia | 2.30 | 2.98 | 3.18 | 3.26 | 3.12 Ammonia in free state | .10 | .062| .023| .041| .023 Ammonia in form of salts | | | | | easily decomposed by | | | | | quicklime | .26 | .212| .249| .154| .159 Total amount of organic | | | | | matter | 83.48 | 73.91 | 69.03 | 61.81 | 53.00 Total amount of mineral | | | | | substances | 16.52 | 26.09 | 30.97 | 38.19 | 47.00 -------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- “A comparison of these different analyses,” says Dr. Vœlcker, “points out clearly the changes which fresh farm-yard manure undergoes on keeping in a heap, exposed to the influence of the weather during a period of twelve months and twelve days. “1. It will be perceived that the proportion of organic matter steadily diminishes from month to month, until the original percentage of organic matter in the dry manure, amounting to 83.48 per cent, becomes reduced to 53 per cent. “2. On the other hand, the total percentage of mineral matter rises as steadily as that of the organic matter falls. “3. It will be seen that the loss in organic matter affects the percentage of insoluble organic matters more than the percentage of soluble organic substances.