a great loss of fertilizing matter. This is precisely
what we should expect. We ferment manure to make it more readily
available as plant-food, and when we have attained our object, the
manure should be applied to the land. We keep winter apples in the
cellar until they get ripe. As soon as they are ripe, they should be
eaten, or they will rapidly decay. This is well understood. And it
should be equally well known that manure, after it has been fermenting
in a heap for six months, cannot safely be kept for another six months
exposed to the weather.

The following table shows the composition of 100 lbs. of the farm-yard
manure, at different periods of the year:

Composition of 100 Lbs. of Fresh Farm-Yard Manure (No. I.) Exposed in
Natural State, at Different Periods of the Year.

-------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------
|When put|Feb. 14,|Apr. 30,|Aug. 23,|Nov. 15,
|up, Nov.|1855. |1855. |1855. |1855.
|3, 1854.| | | |
-------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------
Water | 66.17 | 69.83 | 65.95 | 75.49 | 74.29
Soluble organic matter | 2.48 | 3.86 | 4.27 | 2.95 | 2.74
Soluble inorganic matter | 1.54 | 2.97 | 2.86 | 1.97 | 1.87
Insoluble organic matter | 25.76 | 18.44 | 19.23 | 12.20 | 10.89
Insoluble mineral matter | 4.05 | 4.90 | 7.69 | 7.39 | 10.21
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------
| 100.00 |100.00 |100.00 |100.00 |100.00
Containing nitrogen | .149| .27 | .30 | .19 | .18
Equal to ammonia | .181| .32 | .36 | .23 | .21
Containing nitrogen | .494| .47 | .59 | .47 | .47
Equal to ammonia | .599| .57 | .71 | .62 | .57
Total amount of nitrogen | .643| .74 | .89 | .66 | .65
Equal to ammonia | .780| .89 | 1.07 | .85 | .78
Ammonia in a free state | .034| .049 | .008 | .010 | .006
Ammonia in form of salts | | | | |
easily decomposed | | | | |
by quicklime | .088| .064 | .085 | .038 | .041
Total amt. of organic | 28.24 | 22.30 | 23.50 | 15.15 | 13.63
matter | |