VARIOUS KINDS OF MANURE. 119 



100 parts of each sample of grain produced, lie obtained gluten and 

 starch in the following proportions : 



Gluten. Starch. 



Without manure 9'2 66'7 



Cow dung 12-0 623 



Pigeons' do 12-2 63'2 



Horse do 137 61'6 



Goats' do 32-9 42-4 



Sheep do 32-9 42'8 



Dried night soil 33-1 41-4 



Dried Ox blood 34-2 41'3 



243. Manures containing ammonia, owe their excellent qualities to 

 the nitrogen which enters into their composition ; hence the value of 

 sulphate of ammonia, ammoniacal liquor of gas-works, and urine. The 

 value of guano, or the dung of sea-fowl, depends chiefly on the ammo- 

 niacal salts, and the phosphates which it contains; thus supplying the 

 nitrogen and phosphorus requisite for the proteine compounds which 

 contain the elements of flesh and blood. The guano, which is 

 imported, is the excrement of numerous sea-fowl which frequent the 

 shores of South America and Africa. It often contains beautiful 

 specimens of infusoria, as Campylodiscus, Coscinodiscus, &c. The 

 guano found in caves on the coasts of Malacca and Cochin-China, is the 

 produce of frugivorous and insectivorous bats, and of a species of 

 swallow the last being the best. 



244. The following analyses by Dr. Colquhoun of Glasgow, which 

 are the result of an examination of a large number of samples, give a 

 general idea of the composition of guano. The term ammoniacal 

 matter includes urate of ammonia and other ammoniacal salts, as 

 oxalate, phosphate, and muriate, as well as decayed organic matter of 

 animal origin. The term bone earth, includes posphate of lime 

 (always the principal ingredient), phosphate of magnesia (always in 

 small amount), oxalate of lime ; and in African guano, a minute 

 quantity of carbonate of lime, and from ^ to 2 per cent, of fragments 

 of sea shells. The fixed alkaline salts, are various salts of soda, as 

 muriate, phosphate, and sulphate ; a little of a potash salt has been 

 detected. 



South American Guano. 



Fine Chiiicha. Middling. Inferior. Low Qualities. 



Ammoniacal matter G2 42 '28 12 , 15 



Bone earth 20 24 30 50 



Fixed alkaline salts 10 14 21 10 



Rock, sand, earth 0'5 5 3 15 



Water.... , 7-5 .. 15 . 18 . 13 



37 

 5 



34 

 9 



100-0 100 100 100 100 



