Proceedings of the Farmers* Club. 689 



0THEE AkTIFICIAL MaNUEES 



"Which are exciting more or less attention, and among which fish 

 giiano holds the must prominent place. This is made from the fish 

 known as " moss bnnkers," and caught in great quantities along the 

 Atlantic coast. Their immediate use is in the manufacture of an oil, 

 which is obtained by pressing them in bulk, after being boiled, under 

 strong presses. The residue of the fish is composed of bones and 

 flesh fibers. Both of these are- valuable for manure, but the material 

 is not a guano in any sense of the term. The bones are i»ich in. 

 phosphoric acid, while the flesh, aside from its capability of producing 

 ammonia by decomposition, is commonly believed to contain a larger 

 proportion of phosphorus than that of animals ; a proposition which 

 the writer has never attempted to verily, but which, if true, would 

 add materially to tire manurial value of the product, inasmuch as the 

 phosphoric acid in the flesh would be valuable in a high degree. It 

 is stated by some that they have found a much larger percentage of 

 water in the fish guano purchased by them than waS at all desirable ; 

 and, indeed, to put the pomace into markets in the condition in which 

 it comes from the press, is falling far short of making the most of the 

 article. It should be dried at a moderate heat, so as not to dissipate 

 the ammonia, and ground, as is done with poudrette ; and in this form 

 would undoubtedly form one of the most valuable of all the com- 

 mercial manures now before the public. The same remark will, 

 however, apply to almost any form of animal matter, such as the 

 lobsters, king crabs and mussels found in large quantities at some 

 points on the Xew England and JSTew Jersey coasts. 



Application of Commercial Manures. 



Inasmuch as artificial fertilizers are comparatively expensive, it is 

 desirable that they should be used to the best advantage, or in other 

 words, that none of their virtues should be lost by carelessness in 

 using them. Except on grass lands, it is recommended to apply the' 

 ordinary grades of poudrette, bone-dust, bone-flour, and the like in 

 contact with the seed that ia in the drill, or in the hill. Yet this-- 

 will not answer with tlie more concentrated materials, like the 

 double refined poudrette, nitro-phosphate, or guano. These fertilizers 

 should either be well blended with earth in the vicinity of the seed, 

 or should have interposed between them and the seed a layer of soil.. 

 The quantity of guano that may be profitably applied per acre must, 

 . of course, vary with its quality, with the nature of the soil, and the; 

 [Inst.] 44 



