FISH-SCRAPS AND POGY-CHUM. 355 



10.97 per cent, and phosphoric acid 15.85 per cent., and 

 they represented thus a value differing from $38.32 to $107.68 

 per 2,000 pounds. The same price per ton had been paid for 

 eacli of these samples. In justice to the dealers it must be 

 said, that the guano is sometimes damaged by water during 

 the transportation from the islands or in consequence of hav- 

 ing been stored in moist store-rooms. 



Fish Scraps and Fish Guano. 



The largest amount of fish used for fertilizing purposes is 

 obtained from the fish-rendering establishments along the 

 northern Atlantic coast, from Maine to the mouth of the 

 Hudson River, including Long Island. Forty-two establish- 

 ments, according to good authority, have been in operation in 

 that locality during the year 1872. Fourteen of these fish 

 factories, producing 8,270 tons offish scraps and 291,000 gal- 

 lons of oil, are located along the shores of Long Island ; 

 fifteen are situated along the coast of Connecticut ; their 

 annual production amounts to 8,240 tons of scraps and 

 309,900 gallons of oil. The remaining thirteen establishments 

 are north of Cape Cod, along the coast of Maine ; they pro- 

 duced 16,000 tons of scraps and a satisfactory quantity of 

 oil. The total yield of scraps as specified thus, amounted, 

 in 1872, to 32,570 tons. The ton of scraps sold at $16, at 

 the works, on board of vessel ; the oil sold at 45 cents on 

 the average per gallon. The entire produce of these estab- 

 lishments during the year 1871 had exceeded that of 1872 

 about 12,000 tons of scraps, on account of a more favorable 

 season during the fall. The price of the scraps in 1871 had 

 been as low as $9 per ton, while in 1872 they brought more, 

 generally from $15 to $16 for the same quantity. 



The present prospects of the fish-rendering business are 

 stated to be very statisfactory. The demand for scraps is 

 represented as exceeding three times the present supply. A 

 large porportion of it serves as the nitrogenous constituent 

 in the manufacture of phosphatic commercial fertilizers, par- 

 ticularly for the Southern trade. One of the main difficulties 

 with which our dealers in the fish refuse matter apparently 

 have still to contend, consists in the want of satisfactory dry- 

 ing and grinding apparatus. This fact alone can explain the 



