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.

+--------------------------+----------------------------------------------|
| | WHEN PUT UP. |
| +----------+------------+----------+-----------+
| | Nov. 3d, | April 30th | Aug. 23d | Nov. 15th |
| | 1854. | 1855. | 1855. | 1855. |
| +--------