80 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. . [Jan., 



benzine. The manufactured product shows 3|- to 5 per cent, of 

 water, less than 2 per cent, of oil, and between 10 and 11 per cent, 

 of nitrogen. The plant required for the manufacture is, however, 

 expensive, and the scrap needs to be quite dry before going into 

 the extractors, so that for the present at least the process is not 

 practicable. 



The present extent of this industry and the use made of fish ma- 

 nures maybe gathered from the fact that in 1875 the '-ammonia" 

 derived from fish manures was equal to that contained in 30,000 

 tons of Peruvian guano. The yield of the menhaden fishery was 

 more than twice that of any other, and the value of the product 

 was only surpassed by that of the cod, mackerel, salmon, whale, 

 and oyster fisheries. 



In 1880 there were 79 fish factories on the coast, employing 448 

 vessels and 3,200 men. 2,035,000 gallons offish-oil were produced, 

 and 45,000 tons of scrap. 



Another very important source of nitrogen in our fertilizers is 

 the offal of slaughter houses, which comes into market under a 

 variety of names. Ammonite, azotin, dried blood — and here the 

 trade distinguish kiln dried and red or steam dried, — tankage 

 etc., etc. 



Ammonite or azotin, — the terms are synonymous, but the man- 

 ufacturers prefer the term ammonite, — has never appeared in the 

 retail trade, but is extensively used by manufacturers for 

 ammoniatuig their goods. It is prepared from pork and beef 

 "cracklings," the refuse from tallow and lard melting, by 

 extracting them with benzine. In this way all the grease is 

 removed and the ammonite is left as a dry brittle material, 

 which can be readily ground, is inodorous and will keep indef- 

 initely. It contains from 12.4 per cent, to 15.7 per cent, of nitro- 

 gen and from 2^ to 5 per cent, of phosphoric acid. 



Dried blood is used as well for ammoniating superphosphate, 

 but it is also retailed more or less, and proves to be one of the 

 cheapest and most valuable sources of supply of nitrogen. 



In small slaughtering establishments much valuable material 

 goes to waste if it does not indeed become a pest and poison to 

 the neighborhood. All the blood and largely the intestines and 

 other organs which are not valuable as human food are thrown 

 away, or are only utilized in some small degree as fertilizers at 

 certain seasons. 



But at the wholesale establishments there is now scarcely a 



