Miscellaneous Results from the Laboratory. 619 



specimens, being both more difficult to incorporate with the soil and of 

 much more tardy decomposition when placed there. Where, however, the 

 direct value cannot be ascertained by chemical analysis, it would be pro- 

 bably better for the farmer to purchase woollen rags, of the genuineness 

 and purity of which he may form a fair notion by simple inspection, rather 

 than those kinds which are more open to falsification. 



The price of ammonia, as furnished by the " premings" at 155. a ton, will 

 be exceedingly moderate. 



One ton of "premings" at 12 percent, will yield 269 lbs. of ammonia for 

 15s., or less than Ifof. per lb. 



In guano ammonia is bought at Qd. a lb., so that wool-refuse affords a 

 very cheap supply ; allowance, however, being always made for the slow- 

 ness with which the wool suffers decomposition. The conversion of the 

 animal matter of the wool into ammonia may be facilitated by watering it 

 with urine or mixing it with the dung-heap, but it will probably be 

 always more advantageously applied to corn than as a substitute for 

 manures containing ready-formed ammonia. 



LordTyrconnel subsequently sent me some "shoddy," which is, I believe, 

 the sweeping of the mills and other mixed refuse from the cloth-works — 

 it costs 16s. a ton in Leeds. Upon analyzing it, Mr. Ogston found that in 

 its original state it contained — 



Per centage of Nitrogen. 

 By the first experiment . . . 4 • 43 

 By the second experiment . . 4*68 

 Mean of the two experiments . 4*55 equal to 5*52 of Ammonia. 



It contained 6-11 per cent, of water. 



Shoddy, if we may judge by this specimen, is not half so valuable 

 a manure as the other woollen matters. As it is excessively full of 

 oil, it was thought worth while to ascertain whether the quantity of this 

 ingredient was adequate to explain the low per centage of nitrogen. The 

 shoddy, when treated with ether, gave 26"36 per cent, of oil, containing 

 some colouring matter. The presence of one-fourth of its weight of oil 

 does not, therefore, sufficiently account for the inferiority. 



The above results are borne out by an analysis which some time since 

 was made in this laboratory of some wool-refuse for the Rev. A. Huxtable, 

 with the following result : — 



Analysis of Inferior Wool- Refuse from Mr. Huxtable. 



Water ' 7-15 



Animal Matter and Oil 58-52 



Phosphate of Lime 1 • 48 



Oxide of Iron and Alumina .... 2- 10 



Carbonate of Lime 9*42 



Sand, &c 21-23 



Alkaline Salts and loss in analysis . . . '10 



100-00 



Analyzed for nitrogen, the above afforded about 2*5 per cent., or less 

 than that in the specimen of shoddy before described. 



The percentage of pure ash in woollen refuse is not great, and the ingre- 

 dients of the ash are of small agricultural value. One of the above speci- 

 mens when burned afforded 10*12 per cent, of ash, principally clay and 

 sand, and of the mineral matter only '44 per cent, was found to be phos- 

 phoric acid. 



Worthless and Inferior Manures. — The adulteration of manures of real 

 value, and the sale of others possessing little or no fertilizing power, is a mat- 



