CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 271 



1000?., and the Gold Medal, which -were offered by the Royal Agricultural 

 Society for the discovery of a manure equal in its fertilizing properties to 

 Peruvian guano, and which could be sold at a price not exceeding 51. per 

 ton ; and it was contended that, as, according to the composition of guano 

 as given by Professor Way, and the known value of these several articles 

 in the markets of commerce, the value of a ton of such material would 

 be upwards of 12/., it was not at all probable that any one would dis- 

 pose of it for 51. The author then proceeded to describe the fisheries 

 guano of Mr. Pettit, and gave the results of several analyses, from which 

 it was deduced that, according to the scale before alluded to, the mean, 

 value of the samples tested was 91. 7s. Id. per ton. The manufacture of 

 this guano on a large scale would be carried on by a process of the follow- 

 ing nature : A given weight of fishy matter was placed in a large tank, 

 and sulphuric acid of commerce added to the mass. The action of the 

 acid was so powerful as speedily to reduce the organic matter to a soft 

 pulpy consistency, resembling in appearance the fecal matter of birds. 

 This pasty mass being placed in a centrifugal drying machine, and the 

 superabundant moisture forcibly driven off, the partially dry matter was 

 now submitted to a heat not exceeding 212 Fahrenheit, and afterwards 

 pulverized in a suitable manner. In this process the oily matter of the 

 fish separated itself and swam upon the surface of the Liquid ; hence it 

 could be easily separated, and formed an important item in the economy 

 of the manufacture since, taking all kinds of fishy matter, we obtained 

 an average of three per cent, of oil, worth 251. per ton, or three-fourths 

 of the whole expense of the raw material. Another process might in 

 some cases be adopted with advantage, especially with cartilaginous fish. 

 As to the supply of the raw material, it was believed, from the testimony 

 of many persons on the coasts, that an ample supply of refuse fish would 

 be obtained at an average price of II. per ton ; and taking 60 tons of this 

 weekly, the cost of manufacture and incidental expenses would be 

 10,6-iS/. per annum. From this there would resiilt 93 tons of oil, which, 

 at 2o/. per ton, would give 2,325/., and 1,653 tons, of guano, at 11. per ton, 

 or 11, -5717., making together 13,896?. as the amount of sales, or as profit 



of 3,253/. 



It was stated that some years ago an inquiry was instituted as to whether 

 the offal and refuse fish of Newfoundland could not be prepared into a 

 manure at a cheaper rate than that already in the market, when it was 

 found that there were difficulties in the way, which led to the abandon- 

 ment of the idea. 



BRITISH AGRICULTURE, 



At the London Society of Arts, Mr. Mechi presented a communication, 

 in which he called attention to the new method of irrigation as practised 

 successfully by him, which involved in its consideration our water supply, 

 sanatary condition and physical support, and the application of steam to 



