GUANO FROM THE WHALE. 



321 



I. — Flesh of the Whale. 





Water, .... 



Fat, ... 



Flesh, .... 



Mineral constituents (ash), 



Nitrogen, 



44..50 



22.81 



32.10 



1.04 



4.86 



40.70 



57.44 



1.86 



8.68 



96.80 



3.20 



14.60 



Water, 



Cartilaginous mass (glue) 34.60 



Fat, 1.34 



Bone phosphate of lime, . 51.66 

 Carbonate of lime, . . 8.56 



II. — Steamed Bones of the Whale. 

 3.84 per cent. 



=3(3.5 per cent nitrogen.) 

 ;=(23.66perct. phosphoric acid.) 



The most remarkable enterprise in this direction, of a quite 

 recent elate (1870-1873), is the establishment of fish guano 

 works on the Norwegian-Russian border, — 70° north latitude, 

 — by Captain Svend Foyn. The latter is working the refuse 

 from his whale rendering establishments into a fertilizer ; his 

 calculation is based on the material annually obtained from 

 40 to 50 whales. 



The entire result of his guano operations have been secured 

 by Mr. Meinert, of Saxony, who has been for years success- 

 fully engaged in improving the quality of the fish guano from 

 the extensive fisheries of northern Europe. A Avhale, accord- 

 ing to Captain Svend Foyn, weighs on an average 230,000 

 pounds (115 tons) ; each fish furnishes about 80,000 pounds 

 of fat, several hundred pounds of whalebone, and 100,000 

 pounds raw stock for fish guano ; fifty whales are expected to 

 produce 2,500 tons of the latter, containing 8 per cent, of 

 nitrogen and 12 per cent, of phosphoric acid. 



In view of the various sources of fish refuse turned to 

 account elsewhere, and knowing that almost every kind of 

 fish will furnish suitable material for the manufsicture of guano, 

 it seems but proper to ask whether our resources for the 



41 



