Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist. 
299 
samples of black Russian soils, known under the name of Tcher- 
nozem, and celebrated for their great natural fertility. I am 
making inquiries respecting the yield and producing power of 
these soils, and hope at some future time to publish the results 
of my investigation in connection with practical information 
respecting the management of the Russian black wheat and 
J pasture land, about which I have made inquiries. 
My attention has also been directed to the investigation of the 
cause of Anbury, or fingers-and-toes, which did much damage 
in certain districts in the past season ; and I have traced the 
disease in a soil sent from Westmoreland to the deficiency of 
available potash and lime in the land upon which the turnip-crop 
was much affected by that disease 
Some interest is attached to the earth from the site of aban- 
doned dwellings and villages in Egypt. This earth, known in 
Egypt under the name of Sebah, and used for manuring purposes, 
as will be seen by the subjoined analysis, contains an appre- 
ciable amount of nitrate of potash and more phosphate of lime 
than usually occurs in the most fertile soils : — 
Comjaosition of Egyptian Nitre-eartJi, called Sebali, used as Manure. 
Organic matter 5*25 
Oxide of iron 5 ' 31 
Alumina 7 "86 
Sulphate of lime 1"05 
Phosphate of lime 0"46 
Carbonate of lime 3 "06 
Magnesia 1'60 
Nitrate of potash : I'Ol 
Chloride of sodium 1"42 
Soda -36 
Potash -79 
Insoluble siliceous matter (clay and sand) . . . . 72 • 03 
100-00 
Of the 50 samples of nitrate of soda sent for analysis in 1875, 
not one was found adulterated, and the larger number were first- 
class samples, containing from 95 to 96 per cent, of pure nitrate 
of soda. 
Only lour samples of potash-salts were received for analysis, 
which seems to imply that the use of potash-salts, as a rule, has 
not been found to be attended with much practical benefit. 
The quality of the samples of Peruvian guano, sent by mem- 
bers in 1875, was fully equal to that of the samples received for 
analysis in the preceding year. They yielded, on an average, 
over 12 per cent, of ammonia. Dissolved Peruvian guano 
appears to have been used more extensively in 1875 than in the 
