356 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



inferior mechanical condition of the fish refuse, and the great 

 difference in the percentage of its moistnre, which we quite 

 frequently notice in that article when offered for sale. The 

 line of distinction between fish scraps and fish guano is some- 

 times too loosely drawn to operate satisfactorily in both direc- 

 tions. A few analytical results obtained by testing some of 

 the fish refuse sold within the State, may prove the propriety 

 of the previous reflection. 



Fish Ouano. 



No. II. was sold at $40 ; the usual retail price of a good 

 fish guano is |50 per ton of 2,000 pounds. In counting the 

 value of the nitrogen and of the phosphoric acid contained in 

 these samples according to the standard price in retail trans- 

 actions, we find it to be $45.60 in No. I. and $52.40 in 

 No 11. , a difference of $6.74 per ton. A good, well ground 

 and dried fish guano belongs to the best class of substitutes 

 for Peruvian guano ; it acts, however, slower, for obvious 



reasons. 



Fish Scraps. 



Moisture lost at 100° C, . . . . ^ 



Animal matter, / 



Ash constituents, . . ... 



Total phosphoric acid, 



Nitrogen (in animal matter), .... 



36.53 

 45.52 

 17.95 



These samples consisted of the coarsely broken up, pressed 

 fish ; they sold at $20 per ton to farmers. Their nitrogen 

 and phosphoric acid per ton, in case of a finer mechanical con- 

 dition of the fish refuse, would be sold by the manufacturer 



