MANURES, 



I Mood in the natural state contains from 2-5 to 5 per cent, of 

 nitrogen and about 7 JUT cent of ash. Dried blood contains 6 to 

 i () per cent, of nitrogen. The commercial article seldom contains 

 more than u per cent, nitrogen and a little over i per cent, of 

 phosphoric acid. Blood dried by means of hot water or steam does 

 not char and is easily ground to a powder. Acid clotted blood is 

 made by adding sulphuric acid to the blood to prevent its decom- 

 position, and then drying it by steam. It contains 6 to 7 per cent. 

 nitrogen. It is generally in small semi-dried pieces. Mixed with 

 ground bones, bone ash, or mineral phosphates, it makes a dark 

 coloured manure with a very strong smell, something like a guano. 

 Lean tlesh has a composition nearly similar to that of blood. The 

 carcases of diseased horses, cows, dogs, etc., are treated 

 with sulphuric acid and dried by means of steam. The mixture 

 is generally mixed with superphosphates to give them nitrogen. 

 Blood and flesh manures are principally valuable as nitrogenous 

 manures. The nitrogen is not so valuable in these manures as in 

 sulphate of ammonia, it is not soluble enough for many crops. 

 The crops that are most benehted by blood and flesh manures are 

 wheat, hops, turnips and fruit trees. These manures are best 

 adapted to light soils. Whether these manures can be compared 

 in any way with nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, so far as 

 economy is concerned, will depend on circumstances. If they 

 have to be carted long distances, the charges will preclude the use 

 of them as manures, as they are very bulky. One thing against the 

 use of them to any great extent in Western Australia will be the 

 ash, which, although small in amount, contains about 70 per cent, 

 of chlorides, which is not an element that it is advisable to introduce 

 into the soils here, as in a great many cases they are already too 

 highly charged with them. 



HORN, HIDES, LKATHER CLIPPINGS, AND HAIR. 

 These contain nitrogen from 14 to 17 per cent., and ash about 

 i per cent. They are only valuable for the nitrogen they contain. 

 Although they contain so much nitrogen they are of very little value 

 as a manure, as their action is too slow in the soil, taking from two 

 to four years for complete decomposition. They are mostly used in 

 manure works for mixing with mineral phosphates and sulphuric 

 acid in the making of superphosphates. It is a cheaper method of 

 adding nitrogen to these superphosphates than using ammonium 

 sulphate. Woollen waste or shoddy contains about four to ten per 

 cent, of nitrogen. It is principally used as a cheap method of 

 addng nitrogen in manufacturing superphosphates, and after treat- 

 ment with sulphuric acid it is used as a manure for hops. 



ANIMAL, OR MEAT-MEAL GUANO. 



This is made from the refuse after treating the carcases of 

 cattle by the Liebig's process for the making of the extract sold 



