402 



ANALYTICAL ASSOCIATIOXS. 



form, of nitrogenous manure, which in quality and excellence of 

 manufacture is able to take its place. Fish guano, which from 

 its nature and origin should be an inexhaustible source of richly 

 nitroe^enous manure, is a substance of that kind and it is evident 

 from the excellence of the exhibits at the late Fishery Exhibi- 

 tions, that a very marked improvement in its manufacture is 

 being effected. The chief obstacle to the efficacy of that 

 manure is the large amount of oil it contains, but samples 

 which have been sent for exhibition show that this defect is 

 being overcome. Instead of containing 10 per cent, of oil, as has 

 hitherto been the rule, it is now being produced with less than 

 3 per cent, of oil, and in a state of fineness of manufacture 

 which leaves little to be desired. From South America there 

 are also being imported highly nitrogenous manures in fine 

 condition, under the name of Fray Bentos guano. These are 

 the worked-up carcasses and offal of bullocks slaughtered for 

 the sake of theh' beef extract, and for their hides and horns. 

 Eecent importations of these substances analysed by me gave 

 the following results : — 



The recent falling off in the supply of high class guano has 

 given an impetus to the manufacture of mixtures more or less 

 resembling it. A low class guano, that is to say, one which is 

 poor in ammonia, can be improved so as to resemble in some 

 measure a high class one by the addition of sulphate of ammonia, 

 and the various other characters of high class guano can to 

 some extent be imitated. There is no harm in such mixtures 

 so long as they are are sold as such, and the purchaser is made 

 aware of what he is buying, but to sell such mixtures under the 

 name of genuine guano is a fraud. Ammonia, in sulphate of 

 ammonia, has been selling at less than 15s. per unit, when the 

 ammonia in high class guano was selling at over 20s. per unit. 

 It may be that the price of ammonia in high class Peruvian 



