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LHESTS:

THE LOSS IN MANURE BY LEACHING.

R. E. Doolittle. 1896.

 

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THESIS

 
 
TEES IS
mis LOSS 1!
MAGUPES
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LEAQUTRIA

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Ry E. DCOLTTTLE.

1396,

one
THESIS
Te LOSS IN MANURES BY Lé WACHTNG,

 

 

The object of Use investizations whiishn have been carried
out in the preparation of this thesis is eminently a nracti-
cal one.

"Manures are the fertilizers of the soil", an! the object
of their use is to replace in the land what has been taken
out of it by srowing crops.

In 2ll civilized countries of lons standins, the continual
drain that goes on in the land, due to the srowth of srons
year after yeir, is very ‘reat,

The virzin soils of Britwin, France, Germany wil the create
er part of our own country have loms passe. wey. Most soils

therefore require tie addition of manures to keep them in wv:

increasing state ot fertility; nut to use mamires on soils
that do not need them, or to add manures i creat excess 15

so much waste ot money.

It is desirable then for profitable and also economic

farming to know the quality and value of the vianuves that 1s

already unon or to be put unon tie land.

95500
We often hear it said that after farmyard :anure jias laid
spread out on tne field throush thre winter but little of the
fertilizing insredients remain in it, It was to determine

the truth of this statement that I carried out the investica-

tions outlined below,

Plan ot Work,

 

I obtained four samples ot fresh, throuchly mixed farmyard

doand liquid

p~e

manure, These samsles consisted of ti.ec sol
excrenents with the straw, etc., used 1s litter from kLoth
horse and cattle stables, and were taken fro. tie manure heap
in the yard at the Colleze farm barns, They were taren from
different parts of the heap in order to obtain a fair sample.

The analysis of these would wive me the averaze conposi-
tion of the fresh manures.

I next obtained four samples of manure that was cUraywn and
spread out on the field late in tie fall of 1395,

These samples were taken from different ports of the field,

and were made by raking together the manure over nine or ten
a
O»

+

square reet and throuchly mixing,

The analysis of these would sive me the composition or th
manures after beinz leached by the exposure throu the
winter, and from these data I could sstimate the loss.

I would further say that these samples were taken in this
wey because it is in the same conditions that the farmer keen
his farmyard manure,

The only chance ior error is that t:e manure in the yard
was not made at the same time as that taken from the field,
but in a mixed manure as this was, there would be very little
difference in its original composition.

The samples were taxen on the 1l2th., day of April, 1896,
put into alr-tizht cans, and not opened until analyzed about

the first day of June.

Method of Analysis.

 

I first found the anount of wiier in the samples and thus
got them all on a water-free basis from which I could esti-

mate the per cent of the essential slenencs.
This was cone by taxing a derinate quantity of each sample
and heating at a constant temrerature 100 decrees-Centirae
until it would lose no more weignt,

In the analysis of the water-free substance for the essen-
tial ingredients, viz: nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash,
I followed the official methods siven by the Association of
Official Azricultural Chemists,

For nitrosen the Kjeldahl method was followed: One cram
of the water-free substance was put into a disestion flask
with 20 C.C. of concentrated sulphuric acid and sbout 0.0
gram of metallic mercury anu Une sontents lizested until it
was a clear liquid.

It was then removed from the flames oni finely powlered
potassium permansanate cropped crrefully in and in snall
quantities until the liquid remained a perfect screen.

After cooling, the contents of the flask were transferred
to the distilling flasks with about 200 C.C. of water and
20 0.CG. of potassium sulphid solution, Enough sociun hyirate

solution was then added ( xbout 70 C.C. ) to make toe reaction
qn
e

+

stronzly 2lkaline,( pourin: it carefully dovwm the side ) and
the flask connected with the condenser and the ammonia dis-
tilled over into Erlenneyer flasks containing 195 C.C. of the
standard acid. The distillate was then titrated with stand-
ard alkali.

1 C.C. of the standard hy:rochloric acid-- ecqurxls-.0017051
grams of ammonia, so the number of C.C. of the standard acid
that was neutralized by the annonia for 1 “ran multinlied by

©0017051 and divided by 100,equals the per cent of ammonia.

For the Phosphoric Acid.

 

Two grams of the water-iree naterial were dizested in a
divestion flask with 30 C.C. of strons sulphuric acid until
the liquid was clear. 100 C.C. oi water was then adied,
boiled a few minutes, cooled.ard ace up to 200 C.C.

100 C.U. were filtered off, neutralized with amnonia
hydrate and then clearified with a few drops of nitric acids
20 0.0. of the ammonium chloride solution added, heated in a

water-bath to 60 dezrees C.-- 00 0.C. of the molyb‘ic solution
Cd
e

added, keoping it at 60 desrres C. for one hour,

It was then cooled, decanted off and washel with water by
decantation.

The precipitate was then dissolved on the filter with
dilute anmonia hyirate and hot water and washed in a beaker
to a bulk of not more than 100 C.C.

early neutralized with hytrochloris acid, cooled , and
40.C. of the magnesium mixture added slowly, stirring it
vizorously, and then set it sway for sone time, usually over
nicht, adding 10 C.C. of ammonia hydrate after it has stood
20 minutes. Filtered, washed with dilute ammonia, burned
over the blast lamp and weished.

The phosphoric acid is then in the “orm of Mz, P,0,, and
1 gram of Mg,P,0,- equals- .6896 cram P, 0,.

So the number of grams of Mz P O times 6305, divided by

100- equals- percent of P, 0,.

 
ve

For tire Potash,

 

Five grams of the water-free substance was moistened with

’
‘

sulpnuric acid and burned to destroy the orzanio matter.

Tne reSlicue wis transierred to a1 Erlenmeyer flass ast
boiled with 150 C.C. of water and 15 0C0.C. of hycdrocnlorisc
acid for one hours then cooled, made alkaline with ammonia
hydrate,enoug: ammonium oxalate added to precipitate the lire
and made up to 200 C.C.

OO C.C. were filtered offi and evaporated nearly to dryness
then 1 C.U. of dilute sulphuric adced and evaporated to dry
ness and burned,

The ash was dissolved in hot waiter acidified with a few
drops of hydrochloric acid. and 20 C.C. of platinic chlorize
solution added,

Evaporate this down until it would srystalize wien removed
“then washed it with 80 per cent alcohol and the ammonia
cnloride solution into the Goochs’® filter, 2n! weivthed.

}

The potash is then in the form of K Ptcl , sl ] ocran of

K,PtCl -equils- .1900d yrans of K,0.
So the :unber of srams of K,PtCl, times .19303, diviued by

100 -equals- the per cent or K,0.

Results of Analysis.

 

Following out the analysis as siven xbove for each of the

samples, I obtained the followinz results.

 

 

 

Water.
No. l.
Fresh Llanures, Leached Manures,
-
No. of Per cent | No. of Per cent
sample oi water 3 samples of water
1 : 76.89 per cent 1 22248 per cent
2 76.00 " " 2 12.33 * .
3 | 70.00 * . 3 26.44 * .
4 72.17 " " 4 19,40 " .
Average 75.14 per cent Averacte 20,16 per cent

 

 
Analysis of the water-free material,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. 2.
Fresh Manures,
(a) _
|
No. of | Nitrogen as Phospl.oric acid | Potash
sample. Ammonia as P 0 | as K 0.
! 20 | 2
] : 1,86 per cent 1.21 ner cent 1.20 per cent
2 2.47 " . 102 * "1.41 * .
3 1.95 " a 1.22 " "1,538 * .
4 2.48 " . fo |” "=" 1,14 °" .
Averase 2.19 per cent 1,05 per sent 1.38 per cent
Leached Manures,.
(b)
No, of = WWitrosen as Phosp.oris acid Potash
sample anonnia as P 0 | as K 0.
, 2.0 2
] 1.86 per cent evo per cent .19 per cen
2 1.73 ® . 48 =~" ° ~10 * “
3 1.42 °" " 45 =” . 17 =" .
4 1.73 =" " eol "* . 13 * "

 

Averaze 1,69 per cent »49 per cent .16 per cent
10,

Comparison of Results.

 

 

 

 

 

Nitrosen P OQ K 0

. 2.0 2
Fresh llanure 2.19 per oent 1.05 ner cert 1.88 per cent
Leached " +169 " * 49" * 16 8 *
Per cent of Loss .738 per cent ~28 per cent  ,.88 ner cent

 

 

But the last table does not represent the whole loss as there
is a loss from decomposition, 15 well as from leachins makings
the veignt less,
Tre Cornell Sulletin number 27 cives ti:e sross loss as
oO per cent.
Tie Kansas report for 1863-92 confirrs this per cert.
Accepting this, and figuring from a ton of the oritinal
manure welch tives 1000 pounds of the leached manure we have

the gross loss.

 

 

—_— ae 1 ee
ll,

Gross Loss.

 

Amt at bezin-
|

 

ning or in one Am*t at end
ton. ' or in 1000# Loss per cent.
Nitroven 43. 8 pounds 16.9 pounds 61,
P Q 21 " 4.9 °* 76.
20
K 0 26.6 =" 16 " 94,
2 .

 

A glance at the above shows that t sre was a great loss in
the potash ( 88% ) and also in the phosptoric xcid ( 53% ),
but of the nitrogen only a small loss ( 23% ).

But let us figure this to a commercial basis and the loss
will be more apparent. Fisuring ammonia as worth 16 cents a
pound, P Q at 8 cents, K 0 at 5 cents, and we have the follow

2.0 é

ine,

 
No. l.

Of the water-free material from the fresh manure,

 

i
2.19% of 2000 pounds =: 43.8 pounds Ammonia :a’ 16c $7.00

 

105" * "© -) Qn, " pg ‘a 8c — 1,68
Do

1.33 "  " " °: 266 “ KO a 66~s«1,60
2

Total value $10.28

No. 2.

Of the water-free material from the leached manures,

 

T

1.69% of 2000 pounds~'! 23.8 pounds Armonia a 6c $5,41

49% " " *  "F 9,8 " PQ a 8c .78
: 25

16% " " . | 3.2 . K 0 a 6c 19
Q

Total value $6.38

 
By this we find there is a difference of $3.90 in the
water-free material of the manures and this is equal to about
three tons oi the original manures,

Of course the farmer does not lose the leached out portion
if his manure is drawnout upon the field he intends to crop
for it goes into the ground, unless the soil be a leachy one.

But where he leaves his manure exposed in the same manner
in the barnyard, the leaching is the same and so is his loss.

This is 2 loss that no farmer can afford, an? results from

not taking proper care of his farmyird manure.

 
oe
GOIN USE ONLY
ROOM USE ONLY

 

 
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