Production of Artificial Manure


 The analyses indicate roughly the relative extent of decom-
position in the composts. As decomposition proceeds the con-
tents of ash and nitrogen increase. The ash content of these
composts does not represent absolute values because of the
different minerals used in the various composts and also because
silica picked up as extraneous matter was not excluded. The
figures for the nitrogen contents of the composts are a better
guide to decomposition than the figures for ash. Compost No. 3
(cottonseed meal reagent) appeared to be more decomposed than
the others, but compost No. 2 (urea reagent) contained the
highest nitrogen at the 6 months sampling.

TABLE 7.-ANALYSES OF PINE NEEDLES AND COMPOSTED PINE NEEDLES.

 I% I
 Material % Ether % I %
 SAsh I Extract NitrogenI Lignin

Pine needles ...........................-........... 4.7 4.9 0.44 56.68
Compost No. 1 (cyanamid reagent)
 After 6 months ..........-...------ ....-- 28.19 2.0 0.88 48.49
 After 12 months ............................ 43.20 1.6 1.05 42.27
Compost No. 2 (urea reagent)
 After 6 months ............ ........... 35.58 1.5 1.11 41.80
 After 12 months ........................... 36.20 1.6 0.87 43.18
 Compost No. 3 (cottonseed meal
 reagent)
 After 6 months ............-..- ............ 33.35 2.0 0.91 43.91
 After 12 months ............................ 35.82 1.7 0.95 44.58
 Compost No. 4 (without reagent)
 After 6 months ..-......................... 26.83 2.3 0.47 40.15
 After 12 months ............................ 31.12 2.4 0.54 46.61
 Compost No. 5 (pine needles and
 horse manure)
 After 6 months ..---------............. .. 31.72 1.7 0.74 42.26
 After 12 months ............................ 41.97 1.5 0.84 42.40


 Nitrification tests to determine the relative availabilities of
 the nitrogen in the different composts were conducted in the
 laboratory. Results are shown in Table 8.
 Table 8 shows that the nitrogen in the composts was relatively
 unavailable, and there was a slight decrease in nitrification in
 the soil treated with compost No. 4. These data indicate that
 the composts were not sufficiently decomposed to be used as
 manure.