308 



NP:W ENGLAND FARMER, 



HI ARC II HT 



ARTIFICIAL GUANO. 



Tolhe Eililor oflhe New En^rlaml Fanner: 



Dear .SVr—I protnised you nn accdunt of eorne of 

 the resciirrhes which have been made in my labo- 

 ratory diiririj the last four years, concerning the 

 chemical mture of guano and the best method of 

 composinif artificially a manure of the same kind. 

 I am happy now to redeem this promise, having 

 succeedi'd not only in preparini^ an artificial guano 

 equal in aoricultural value to that brought from the 

 island-i of ihe Pacific ocean, but also in combining 

 Bubstanccs with it which plants require, (as proved 

 by analysis,) which do not exist in the natural 

 guano. 



Thn value of any artificial manure depends upon 

 its adilnig to the soil certain substances that 

 plants require, which do not exist in it, or oc- 

 cur in ton minute proportions to subserve the 

 wants of vegetable economy — or some may act by 

 decomposing certain inert compounds which exist 

 in the soil, giving rise to useful combinations, or 

 by extricating gaseous matters available to plants. 

 Guano comes nearer to a universal compost than 

 any other natural excremental manure, and is more 

 concentraled than any kind of poudrette that has 

 yet been made. 



It seems very remarkable, then, that there should 

 exist so many contradictory statements respecting 

 its agricultural value-^statements which only 

 prove the want of science and skill on the part of 

 those experimenters who have denounced it. 



So far as regards its application, we may say 

 that it is especially adapted to those varieties of 

 soil which are deficient in saline ingredients, and 

 to those having inert or insoluble vegetable mat- 

 ters. It is not required on rich mould, containing 

 animal and vegetable manures, and where ground 

 bones have been largely used — for those manures 

 convey to the soil similar ingredients to those 

 found in guano. Our liglit sandy iuams will, 

 without doubt, be found to be the best soils for 

 its successful application. 



It must be remembered that all concentrated 

 manures require dilution, or must be largely mixed 

 with soil, charcoal or peat, in order to prevent the 

 too powerful action of the ammoniacal salts on the 

 delicate rootlets of plants. This rule is applica- 

 ble to all saline manures. Guano may also be ap- 

 plied in solution in water, as has been done at the 

 Conservatory, by our scientific friend, Mr Tesche- 

 macher. In the large way, it may be thus sjirink- 

 led on the soil by the watering engine. 



The first lot of guano which I received, was 

 brought to Boston by Mr John H. Blake, the pres- 

 ent superintendent of the Gas works. This sci- 

 entific chemist had then just returned from an ex- 

 tensive journey through South America, from 

 whence he brought a variety cf useful substances, 

 obtained in hii explorations. 



A sample of this guano was analyzed in my lab- 

 oratory in 18.39, by Mr Moses B. Williams, then 

 my pupil. His attention was particularly directed 

 to' researches on the organic matters existing in it, 

 which had been neglected by European chemislsi 

 and those matters were found to be the usual in- 

 gredients of the richest mould, viz ; crenic, ano- 

 crenic, and huinic acids, combined mostly with am- 

 monia, and algo a large proportion of that neutral 

 compound called by Berzeliui, extract of huinus. 



These organic matters I regard as very impor- 

 tant, and consider them as convertible food of 

 plants, undergoing changes of composition the mc- 



iient they enter Ihe sap-vessels and cells of vege- 

 tables, and forming by their reduction an important 

 supply to their nourishing juices. 



It was evident on comparing the fertilizing ac- 

 tion of natural and European artificial guano, that 

 therg was wanting in the latter some important in- 

 gredients, and it ocurred to me that it would be 

 easy to form, artificially, the organic compounds, 

 and to introduce them into an artificial guano, 

 made up entirely of chemical salts. This I did 

 forthwith, and submitted the artificial guano thus 

 made to the test of actual trial, m manuring potted 

 plants. The results of the experiment were de- 

 cidedly satisfactory, and certainly established the 

 fact that the artificial guano was equal to, if not 

 better than the natural. I also gave samples of 

 the artificial gnuno to several agricultural friends, 

 requesting them to try it against the natural kind. 

 Mr Teschemacher's results were unfortunately in- 

 terfered with by the fire at the Conservatory, but 

 he informs me that so far as the experiment went, 

 the artificial guano furnished by me, proved to be 

 of double the value of the natural guano. I have 

 not heard from the other gentlemen vvho agreed to 

 try It. 



According to the analysis of Voelckl, published 

 in the Builelin Universetle de Gentve, Nov. 17th, 



1841, natural guano consists of 



Urate of ammonia, .9. 



Oxalate of ammonia, 10.6 



Oxalate of lime, 7.0 



Phosphate of ammonia, 6.0 



Phosphate of ammonia and magnesia, 2.6 



Sulphate of potash, 5.5 



Sulphate of soda, 3.8 



Muriate of ammonia, 4.2 



Phosphate of lime, 14,3 



Clay and sand, 4.7 



Undetermined organic mailer, (1-8 of 



which is soluble in water,) and 



water with traces of soluble salts 



of iron, 33.3* 



100. 



The following is the compositior. of my artificial 

 guano, with an estimate of the cost of each ingre- 

 dient, as stated by my friend, Mr A. A. Hayes, a 

 scientific and manufacturing chemist. The prices 

 are estimated for crude products, as they can be 

 made in large quantities : — 



Bone-ash, or ground bones,' 



Carbonate of amnionia, 



Phosphate of soda. 



Sulphate of magnesia. 



Muriate of ammonia, 



iiulphate of soda. 



Sulphate nrj;otash, 



Ni!r.ii,e ofiiida, 



Nitiate of potash, 



tlluinale cf potash, ^y, 



tApocrenate of ammopia, &c. 10 



Oxide of manganese, 



Bng-iron ore in powder, 



Fine silex from peal bog, q. a 



Costper lb. Total. 



15 lbs. Jet. 7ct3. 



10 ' tjcts. GO ' 



10 ' 4cts. 40 ' 



' Sets. 18 ' 



5 ' 9cts. 45 ■ 



3 ' let. 3 ' 



5 ' 3cts. 15 ' 



5 ' 4ct8. 20 ' 



2 ' 6cte. 13 ' 



20 ' Sets. 60 ' 



4 CIS. 40 ' 



acts. 10 ' 



2 • let. 2 ' 



100 



$:i 33 



t.-*awdust anA polasli melted together In an iron pol 

 JPeat steeped, in carljonate of amniQnia, strained and evaporated 

 to pa-te. ' 



In my e.Kperimenta, the bones wore burnt until 

 white, and then reduced to powder, and all the chem- 

 ical substances were used in their pure slate. This 



"This nrgaiiic matter apfiears to liave been overlooked 

 by Vaquelin, l.i„big, and other agricultural writers ; yet 

 it is^eyidoiit that it forms an important part of the guano. 



is unnecessary in ordinary practice, but 

 quired in scientific researches to establish 

 ciple. Any chemist who inspects the tab 

 above mixture will perceive how a seriesd 

 decompositions will take place, resulting ii 

 ination of the best formula for an artificial 

 In some cases I have added sulphate of I 

 sea salt (chloride of sodium) to the above 

 and in such case sulphate of ammonia anc 

 ales of lime and soda are produced. 



In the cultivation of potatoes, a much la 

 portion of sulphate of magnesia may be ir 

 with advantage. For clover, a very large 

 of gypsum may be made, sither by mixin 

 rectly with the yuano, or by spreading i 

 soil, the latter being preferable, since it 

 sorb the escaping ammonia. 



The apocrenate, crenate, and humate o 

 nia made by the addition of carbonate of 

 to swamp muck or peat, does not (in the la 

 require to be dissolved and filtered. 1 

 sufficient to mix them in the state of a nio 

 No ammonia can escape from its combina 

 the peat or muck. 



The refuse bone-black of sugar refine 

 be made into a paste with sulphuric acid i 

 and then treated with a sufficiency of crut 

 or soda to take up the phosphoric acid se 

 the sulphuric acid. This mixture may hi 

 added to the other ingredients of the gua 

 ing out the phosphate of soda and sulphat' 

 ash and gypsum, for these are now formed, 

 The animal carbon will also be a subs 

 the ammoniacal extract of peat, which 

 omitted. Urine made jnto a paste with 

 gypsum, may be substituted for the carboi 

 muriate of ammonia. It is indifferent wh 

 use nitrates of soda or potash. The comm 

 saltpetre will answer perfectly well, wher 

 be obtained cheaper than nitrate of soda 

 mon bog manganese answers for the oxide 

 ganese and bog iron. 



It will be easy for any one familiar wii 

 istry, to make many varieties of the abov 

 nations within the rules, but those who do 

 derstand the science, will do well to fo 

 formula strictly, if they wish to test the 

 the manure. 



Natural guano, at the present time, is wi 

 per ton in England, and so many ships 

 engaged in its transportation from the g 

 lands of the Pacific, that ive may look foriv 

 time when the localities where it is now | 

 will be exhausted, and the coast of Chili a 

 will be reduced to comparative barrennes 

 therefore important that we should end 

 form an artificial manure, equal if not su| 

 value to it. I am satisfied that we can, b 

 ting on a large scale, make an artificial 

 more valuable than guano, and susceptibl 

 those variations which our different soils ar 

 require. 



We cannot expect old farmers to leave I 

 in the furrow and go to school to learn ch 

 but we do think it of the utmost moment ll 

 should see that their children who may h 

 be called to improve the soil, should be n 

 quainted with this science, which lays at I 

 foundation of the successful cultivation of 

 and the adaptation of manures to the variot' 

 of useful plants. It is as absurd for the fi 

 undervalue and neglect chemistry, as it w 

 for the navigator to despise and neglect asl 



