this country take the trouble to
spread manure over the yard."

"Perhaps not," I replied, "but you have known a good many farmers who
adopt this very method of keeping their manure. They do not spread
it--but they let it lie spread out over the yards, just wherever it
happens to be."

Let us see what the effect of this treatment is on the composition and
value of the manure.

We have examined the effect of keeping manure in a heap in the open air,
and also of keeping it in a heap under cover. Now let us see how these
methods compare with the practice of leaving it exposed to the rains,
spread out in the yard.

On the 3rd of November, 1854, Dr. Voelcker weighed out 1,652 lbs. of
manure similar to that used in the preceding experiments, and spread it
out in the yard. It was weighed April 30, and again August 23, and
November 15.

The following table gives the actual weight of the manure at the
different periods, also the actual amount of the water, organic matter,
ash, nitrogen, etc.:

Table Showing the Weight and Composition of Entire Mass of
Experimental Manure (No. Iii.), Fresh Farm-Yard Manure, Spread
in Open Yard at Different Periods of the Year. In Natural State.

--------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+--------
|When put |April 30,|Aug. 23, |Nov. 15,
|up, Nov. |1855. |1855. |1855.
|3, 1854. | | |
--------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+--------
| lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs.
Weight of manure |1,652. |1,429. |1,012. |950.
+---------+---------+---------+--------
Amount of water in the manure |1,093. |1,143. | 709.3 |622.8
Amount of dry matter | 559. | 285.5 | 302.7 |327.2
[A] Consisting of soluble | | | |
organic matter | 40.97 | 16.55 | 4.96 | 3.95
Soluble mineral matter | 25.43 | 14.41 | 6.47 | 5.52
[B] Insoluble organic matter| 425.67 | 163.79 | 106.81 | 94.45
Insoluble mineral matter | 66.93 | 90.75 | 184.46 |223.28
+---------+---------+---------+--------
| 559.00 | 285.50 | 302.70 |327.20
|