262 Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist. 
tte advantage of the farmer to buy the prepared Peruvian guano 
in preference to raw, even if he should have to pay a somewhat 
higher price than that at which the raw guano is sold. 
In consideration of the difficulties which at present exist in the 
way of procuring Peruvian guano of a uniform composition and 
in a dry and fine condition, arrangements have been made to 
set up sulphuric acid chambers and works at Victoria Docks, in 
which the preparation of soluble Peruvian guano will be carried 
out on an extensive scale. 
It is to be hoped that before next spring is far advanced, the 
works at present in the course of erection at Victoria Docks will 
be in fair working order, and that before long the British farmer 
will be supplied with as good a fertiliser as the farmers of 
Germany, whose experience has taught them to appreciate the 
high fertilising value of the soluble guano, which for some years 
has been prepared on a very large scale at Hamburg. 
Attention has been directed in public papers to some newly 
discovered guano-deposits in Patagonia. Judging from the geo- 
graphical position of the district where these new guano deposits 
occur, it appeared to me scarcely likely that the new Patagonian 
guano would approach in quality the Chincha Island or Guanape 
Island deposit, A recent "analysis of Patagonian guano has fully 
confirmed this view, as will be seen by the following figures. 
Composition of a sample of Patagonian Guano. 
Moisture 35'8b' 
*Organic matter and ammoniacal salts 26"07 
Phosphate of lime 22-01 
Carbonate of lime 5-64 
Alkaline salts 7-34 
Insoluble siliceous matter 3'08 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 4-42 
Equal to ammonia 5-37 
Fully one-third of this guano consists of water, and it is 
therefore scarcely necessary for me to add that the condition of 
the sample analysed by me was very wet and lumpy. 
Whilst speaking of guano, I may mention that a variety of a 
dry and finely powdered guano has recently been imported into 
England under the name of Mejillones guano. 
Mejillones guano is a valuable natural guano deposit, which, 
however, differs essentially in its composition from Peruvian 
guano, as will be seen by the subjoined complete analysis of an 
average sample taken from a cargo landed in England last 
spring. 
