246 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



which has more nitrogen and much more phosphoric acid than our fish 

 guanos. 



The German thaler = 72 cents gold, nearly. 



The German cwt. or centner = 111 pounds, nearly. 



The German morgen = f acre, nearly. 



Comparing the plots which had 3 cwt. each of fish and Peruvian guano 

 it is to be observed that — 



1. The Peruvian guano cost nearly twice as much as the fish guano. 



2. The gain from the Peruvian guano, over and above the cost, was 

 six times as much as that from the fish. 



These results are remarkably favorable for the Peruvian guano. But 

 it is to be noted that these experiments were on two crops of sugar-beets, 

 with one of grain between. With other crops the results might have 

 been very different. 



Stoeckhardt, who has given as much attention to this matter as any 

 one, infers, from a large number of fiald experiments made under his 

 direction, that the fish guano is very nearly as effective as Peruvian. 



Aside from its content of potash, of which fish has as good as none, 

 the greater value of Peruvian guano, which is a fish product, must be 

 due in the main to the fact that, as the result of the changes effected in 

 its passage through the bird and subsequently, the ingredients have en- 

 tered into new, simpler, and more available forms of combination. Taking 

 into account composition, quality, and price, the cheapest fertilizers in 

 the market are Peruvian guanos; next to these come fish manures. 



