156 



EXPEHIMEXTAL FARMS 



4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 



At the request of Mr, J". R. Anderson, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Victoria, 

 B.C., we have analysed specimens collected at Enderby, Okanagan Mission, Nicola 

 Lake and East Kootenay. There was a strong similarity between these samples; with 

 the exception of the one from Okanagan, it would have been difficult to distinguish 

 them the one from the other. 



Analysis of Calcareous Deposits. 



Localit}'. 



Carbonate 



of 



Lime. 



Insol- 

 uble Matter 

 (Clay). 



Oxide 



of Iron and 



Alumina. 



Kuderby 



Xicola Lake 



East Kootenay. . . 

 Okanagan Mission 



p. c. 



94-14 

 95-71 

 95-33 

 70-75 



p. c, 



61 

 63 

 35 

 40 



p. c. 



•60 



•86 



•65 



18 93 



OrganicMat- 

 ter, Mag- 

 nesia, &c. 



p. c 



4 

 3 

 3 

 6 



65 

 00 

 67 

 92 



They are all essentially carbonate of lime, the first three mentioned in the table 

 being very similar in composition, and of excellent quality. 



As this material is usually extremely hard, it would seem that in order to make it 

 effective agriculturally, it would be necessary to crush or grind it to a powder. But 

 most probably the best plan would be to burn it. The resulting lime would, I think, 

 be found very serviceable, especially on the strong clay soils, as about Enderby and 

 Armstrong. It would be valuable to low-lying and mucky soils, which as a rule are 

 excessively rich in organic matter and nitrogen, but deficient in mineral matter con- 

 stituents. 



It is of interest to note that the analysis of a second sample of the Enderby 

 deposit, forwarded after being burnt and allowed to air-slake, gave 90*23 per cent slaked 

 lime and 1'33 per cent oxide of iron and alumina. Its quality was such that it could 

 be well used for making concrete, and for other building purposes. 



BOXE FROM WHALE. 



This sample consisted of two pieces of rib bone, dry and bleached by exposure. 

 It was forwarded from East Leicester, N.S., and accompanied by the information that 

 there were about 20 tons of the bones procurable in the locality at a cost of $10 per 

 ton. Our correspondent, with others, was anxious to learn how thoy compared with 

 the ordinarj' bone meal on the market. 



Analysis. 



Moisture 7'41 



Organic and volatile matter" (gelatine, fat, kc.) 35*95 



Mineral matter (phosphate of lime, &c.) . 56*04: 



100*00 



Pho-sphoric acid (equivalent to 47*33 per cent phosphate of 



lime) . . . 21*68 



Nitrogen 2*98 



Reference to tlie last issue of the bulletin on Commercial Fertilizers (Inland Rev- 

 enue Department) shows that the bone meals upon the Canadian market contain be- 

 tween 2*7 per cent and 4*7 per cent nitrogen, and from 19*0 per cent to 26*0 per cent 



•Containing 14-35 per cent fat. 



