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XVL — On Jatropha Manure. By Thornton J. Herapath. 

 To the Secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society. 



Sir, 



My object in addressing these few lines to you is to call your 

 attention, and that of the members generally, to a new description of 

 manure, which has been recently brought before my notice. I allude 

 to the Jatropha manure," as it is called. This is the expressed cake 

 of the " lamp-oil seed," the fruit of a variety of the castor- oil plant 

 {Ricinus commu7iis^ var. Major), which is imported in pretty con- 

 siderable quantities from the Cape de Verde Islands, &c. ; and which, 

 when subjected to pressure, furnishes an oil admirably adapted for the 

 purposes of illumination, and for lubricating machinery. 



The oil being excessively purgative and poisonous, however^ it has 

 been found impossible to employ the residuary cake, which of course 

 still contains a portion of oil, for the feeding of cattle, for which 

 purpose it would be otherwise well adapted. The only use, therefore, 

 the manufacturers can put it to, is to sell it to the agriculturists as a 

 manure. 



Some of this Jatropha manure was recently sent to my father, 

 Professor W. Herapath, for analysis. It was examined in our labora- 

 tory, and found to contain in 100 parts : — 



Water 10*24 



Organic matters , . , . . 81*88 

 Ashes 7*88 



100- 



Nitrogen per cent, in fresh cake . . . 4*20 



dried cake . . , 4*68 



The composition of the ashes was as follows : — 



Per Cent, of Ash. 



Soluble salts . . . . 0-48 = 6*193 



Carbonates . . . . 1-66 = 21*070 



Insoluble jjhosphates , . 4*22 = 53*554 



Silica, grit, &c 1 • 52 = 19*183 



7-88 100* 



Below is given a table containing analyses by MM. Soubeiran and 

 Grirardin of the cakes of various oleaginous seeds. 

 Matters contained in 100 parts of oil-cake : — 



Pistachio. Camelina. Hemp. Colza. Beech, Linseed. Poppy. Sesamum. 



Water . . 12-0 14*5 13*8 13*2 14*0 ll'O 11*0 11*0 



Oil . . . 12-0 12*2 6-3 14-1 4-0 12*0 14*2 13-0 



Organic matters 71-0 65*1 69*4 66*2 75*8 70*0 62*3 66*5 



^neralSalts} ^'^ 8*2 10*5 6-5 6-2 7*0 12*5 9*5 



100* 100* 100* 100* 100* lOU* 100* 100* 



In the organic matters of the seed there was of — 



Nitrogen. . 6-07 5*57 6-20 5*55 4*50 6*00 7*00 5*57 



