The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-04-09

ars sst&asiseiy arovn and nasy csttl'
kept COZ dug forms great Possios Q
The manure Thu composition ard valu'
Of farm yard manure viii, therefore. var,
much with the feeding 81 the animals
Thus She manure of cattle fed on root
u isisrior 10 thai Of cattle fed on oil cakes
shs manure 81 horses fed on straw and
hay u much poorer than shat Of horses iss
on osts. The compound manure vhici
has an excesss Of cattle excrcment, i lea
powerful than one with sycsss Of ths dunt
Of The horse. The compound manur'
which contains no night soil. 4 Ices ferti-
LIKING than ons With ; proportion Of 1t.
An analysis 81 one specimen Of farm yard
maaurs csnnct be taken - = general eH
precision Of it, composition. which vAriei
With the circumstances before stated. Farm
yard manure. which IL either quits frsst
or has undergone 20 little fermentation
= 70 retain il Iittsr in an undscomposed
and but partially brohsnt stats. i knowu
By tho nams Of long dung. when Il hai
hsen thoroughly fermentsd. powdery o.
saponaceous. or il 90 Tres from litter u
70 consist almost entirely Of solid excrs.
ment. Il receives the name Of short
dung. Much controversy has existed
among farmers y to tho relative merits Of
thsss two forms.
An exsmination Of the chemical changes
which have taken place in this pro-
sess throws soma light on these contro-
versies. II has been found BY expert
ment that 100 loads Of fresh dung becomes
reduced by fermentation and exposure, .
follows:
In 81 days 100 loads were reduced 10
733 loads; in 2S5 days 100 loads were
reduced to 64.5 loads; in SS4 days 100
loads we're reduced to 6l.4 loads; in
499ldays 100 loads were reduced to Ala
loads.
In 16 months the quantity has bees re-
duced to less than ons.half, and the most
valuable salts lost The reduction Of
weight Of farm yard manure depends on
two causes, namely--the dimunition Of
gasses by fermentation and the loss Of sol.
ubls matters BY drainage. The latter, the
least feared, is BY far the most serious
source Of loss The analysis Of . fair av-
eraee specimen Of fresh farm yard ma
nure, 30 far rs an average can DO taken Of
this substance, is instructive. II
shows that farm yard is valuable
manure because it contains oil
the constituents which are re-
quired by the commonly cultivated crops
to bring them to perfection. and in state
Of combination which appears TO b espes-
tally favorable TO their luxuriant growth.
II explains fully the action Of fresh dung
when compared with the effects Of well
rotted manure, becass the former contains
only ons-eighth Of soluble matter Is com
pared with insoluble, whilst in the latter
this quantity Of soluble is much increased
by termination, 81 will presently be seen.
In this small soluble portion the most i'm
portant fertilizing substances are present.
The proportion Of nitrogen in 100 parts Of
the soluble organic matter, a. compared
with the insoluble, 10 as 5.04 to 1872. The
most valuable salts present IL considers
BILE quantities are silicate Of potash and
phosphate Of lime, usually considered an
insoluble compound. II is explained by
Wohler that bone dust, moistened with :
little water, in the course Of few days
yield to water q considerable quantity Of
phosphate Of lime. and this solubility
rapidly increases with the putrifaction Of
he gelatine Of the bones. Hence. wher--
sver earthly phosphates exist with organic
matter, water will invariably dissolve )
portion progressively with the decompo-
sition Of the organic matter BY fermenta-
lion. This fact is Of the utmost impor-
lance to agriculture.
A we'll mixed sample Of rotten dung, Of
lark brown color, 1t least six months old.
ind which was produced under the same
as the fresh manure, shows
hat during the fermentation Of dung, the
quantity OF both soluble organic and solu-
Die mineral matter rapidly increases, and
hat the proportion Of ammonia and Of
phosphate Of lime in these soluble mat
err also rapidly augmsnts.
Thus, 100 parts Of dry soluble organic
natter from fresh dung contain GA Of nj
rogen, while 100 from rotten dung con-
aims S.O2 and the phosphate Of lime il
early doubled. The proportion Of organ
. matter decreases a. the fermentation
oes on but the loss IL in carbonic acid
nd other non-essential gases There is
pparsntly no serious loss OF ammonia by
vaporstion, - it is commonly supposed.
Direct experiments have shown that ia
old no ammonia IL given of from the
urfacs cf farm yard manure. and that
opsid cradle amount Of heat il necessary
Or this purpose. Now a. this occurs only
q the interior Of the heap when the fer
,entation il active. the liberated ammonia
j passing through the outer layers Of de-
aging organic matter 1t lower tempera-
are, Il arrested. This fact was proved
y Voelcker BY the aralysis Of fresh ma
IRE made into hosp, and LEFT for six
aonths. The amount 81 dry organic mat
u Va found 10 hsve diminished from 600
'ounds, but The total amount Of nitrogen
the commencement was 1923 pounds,
Id at the end Of nix months Is. IA Or. near
! the same,
Tho practical results Of these changes
y fermentation ID thst, weight for weight,
ell sottsd farm yard manure il richer IN
pluble feftilixing constituents than fresh
ung. and contains more readily available
itrogsn, and therefore ID more Immediate
I'd energetic In IL action On vegetation.
appears that, up TO certain point, the
mcasy Of farm yard manure il increased
I ) well regulated fermentation. during
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