5 | 6,954
Water in the heap of manure | 6,617 | 4,707 | 5,304 | 5,167
Total organic matter | 2,824 | 1,678 | 1,034 | 947
Total inorganic matter | 559 | 753 | 657 | 840
Total nitrogen in heap | 64.3 | 63.9 | 46.3 | 46.0
Total soluble organic matter | 248 | 305 | 207 | 190
Total insoluble organic matter | 2,576 | 1,373 | 857 | 757
Soluble mineral matter | 154 | 204 | 138 | 130
Insoluble mineral matter | 405 | 549 | 519 | 710
Nitrogen in soluble matter | 14.9 | 21.4 | 13.2 | 12.9
Nitrogen in insoluble matter | 49.4 | 42.5 | 33.1 | 33.1
-------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+--------

The Deacon put on his spectacles and studied the above table carefully
for some time. "That tells the whole story," said he, "you put five tons
of fresh manure in a heap, it ferments and gets warm, and nearly one ton
of water is driven off by the heat."

"Yes," said the Doctor, "you see that over half a ton (1,146 lbs.) of
dry organic matter has been slowly burnt up in the heap; giving out as
much heat as half a ton of coal burnt in a stove. But this is not all.
The manure is cooked, and steamed, and softened by the process. The
organic matter burnt up is of no value. There is little or no loss of
nitrogen. The heap contained 64.3 lbs. of nitrogen when put up, and 63.9
lbs. after fermenting six months. And it is evident that the manure is
in a much more active and available condition than if it had been
applied to the land in the fresh state. There was 14.9 lbs. of nitrogen
in a soluble condition in the fresh manure, and 21.4 lbs. in the
fermented manure. And what is equally important, you will notice that
there is 154 lbs. of soluble ash in the heap of fresh manure, and 204
lbs. in the heap of fermented manure. In other words, 50 lbs. of the
insoluble mineral matter had, by the fermentation of the manure, been
rendered soluble, and consequently immediately available as plant-food.
This is a very important fact."

The Doctor is right. There is clearly a great advantage in fermenting
manure, provided it is done in such a manner as to prevent loss. We have
not only less manure to draw out and spread, but the plant-food which it
contains, is more soluble and active.

The table we have given shows that there is little or no loss of
v