1898.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 125 



The results of our analyses of the sample (two hundred 

 pound bag) kindly sent on for trial by Messrs. H. J. Baker 

 & Bro., New York City, are fairly within the stated com- 

 position of English chemists. The guano, it is stated, has 

 been brought from some islands off the west coast of Africa ; 

 it is a valuable material, as may be seen from our detailed 

 statement. 



6. Notes on Ceematory Ashes from City Garbage. 



In my annual report for 1895 (pages 160 and 161), special 

 attention was called to two important recent modes of sav- 

 ing city garbage, kitchen refuse in particular, for manurial 

 purposes. Sanitary considerations are the first cause of 

 the introduction of these new modes of disposing of objec- 

 tionable refuse matter, w^hich promise to become from day 

 to day more important as supplies of valuable fertilizer 

 materials. 



Our attention has been in particular called to the products 

 of the crematory furnace ashes from Lowell, jNIass. The 

 article is evidently improving, in consequence of the adop- 

 tion of a proper system of sifting and grinding the ashes, 

 as wdll be seen from the accompanying analysis, represent- 

 ing;, accordino; to statement, one hundred tons. The sellino; 

 price, from $10 to $11 per ton, invites serious trials, as a 

 fertilizer furnishing potash, phosphoric acid and lime. 



Analysis of Ashes from the Cremation of City Garbage {Per Cent.). 



Moisture at 100^ C, 53 



Potassium oxide, 6.01 



Sodium oxide, 15.65 



Total phosphoric acid, 10.21 



Available phosphoric acid, . . . . .2.31 



Insoluble phosphoric acid, 7.87 



Sulphuric acid (So,), 4.57 



Chlorine, -1.75 



Carbonic acid (CO^), . . . . . .10.85 



Calcium oxide, 20.22 



Magnesium oxide, 1 . 16 



Iron and alumina, 9 . 32 



Insoluble matter, .24.26 



Nitrogen (inactive lyan comjiounds) , . . . .17 



