336 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fish-Fertilizer. 



The manufacture of fish-fertilizer on the part of the 

 United-States Menhaden Oil and Guano Association has 

 been somewhat larger during the year of 1877 than during 

 1876, although the number of working factories has been 

 only fifty-six, instead of sixty-four in 1876. The recently 

 published statistics of that association give the following 

 account of their last year's operations as compared with the 

 preceding one : — 



512,450,000 

 587,624,125 



Number of fish caught in 1876 



« " " 1877 



Gain over 1876 .... 



Number of barrels (estimated) in 1876 . 



« " " 1877 . 



Gain over 1876 .... 

 Number of gallons of oil obtained in 1876 



a t( (( (1 1877 



Less than in 1876 .... 



Number of tons of guano made in 1876 . 



« " " " 1877 . 



Gain over 1876 .... 



75,174,125 

 1,708,106 

 1,958,747 



250,581 

 2,992,000 

 2,426,589 



565,441 

 51,244 

 55,444 



4,200 



There is a manifest desire on the part of the manufacturers 

 of fish-guano to devise modes of operation by which the fish- 

 refuse may be brought into a more acceptable form. Various 

 patented processes are advocated, and will, in all probability, 

 be tried during the coming season. The question of a sup- 

 ply of fish-refuse from other branches of fish-industry — as 

 cod-fish, sardines, &c. — has been discussed ; and it is to be 

 hoped that our resources of fish for agricultural purposes 

 will keep up with an increasing demand. In the form of 

 fish we are enabled to return, in part at least, to our lands, 

 what a wasteful sewage-system of our seaport towns sweeps 

 into the ocean. Some enterprising dealers in fish-refuse have 

 prepared compositions with German potash-salts, or kainit, 

 to offer more complete fertilizers. If properly applied, they 

 cannot fail to insure, in many instances, the chances of suc- 

 cess. Composting fish with soil and gypsum, before its use, 

 has given better satisfaction than treating fish with sulphuric 



