36 FEKTILIZERS. 



from the fish known by various names in different locali- 

 ties, as "manhaden," "heart-heads," "moss-bunkers," and, 

 in the South, as "fat-backs." These are caught in nets, 

 and boiled, to secure the oil, in which they are rich, at 

 various establishments along the shore and islands of the 

 coast. After boiling, the water and oil are pressed out of 

 the mass, and the residue sometimes thrown into heaps, 

 to heat arid dry ; at other times it is put directly into bar- 

 rels, and pressed in. In this condition it is known as 

 44 pomace " or " chum." If it is to be sold as fish-guano, it 

 is spread on large platforms to dry, after which it is ground. 



As a general rule, three barrels of fish before cooking 

 make one barrel of the chum. The fertilizer manufac- 

 turer dries and grinds it, using it crude, or treating it with 

 acid, to make the nitrogen and phosphoric acid directly 

 available for plant-food. Sometimes, when the catch is a 

 large one (over two hundred thousand fishes are at times 

 taken in a single haul of the net, enough to load two or 

 three vessels of fifty tons each), and the quantity of fish 

 is larger than the oil-factories can take care of in hot 

 weather, the surplus is sold to the neighboring farmers at 

 the best price that can be got. These fish are oftentimes 

 put directly on the grass-land. The effect is very stimu- 

 lating, and enormous crops of grass can be raised for a 

 few years by such annual dressings ; but the final result, 

 especially on light soils, is, the fish have less and less effect, 

 and the crop is almost nothing. The soil is dying for 

 want of potash, in which element fish-waste is deficient. 

 To recuperate it, apply potash, or manures rich in potash, 

 and its fertility will be restored. Soils abounding in clay 

 will stand fish-manuring without showing injury longer 

 than those of a gravelly character. 



Besides the manhaden, there are numerous other fish- 

 wastes, all rich in nitrogen and phosphate. On two occa- 



