Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist for 188G. 307 
be equal to linseed, but, as the figures of the analysis show, it is 
in no way to be compared with the latter. 
Moisture 11 "01 
Oil 4-53 
*Albumiaoiis compounds 13 '87 
Mucilage, starch, digestible fibre, &c. .. 48 "33 
Woody fibre 18-31 
Mineral matter 3 '95 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 2-22 
Manures. — Reference has been already made to nitrate of 
soda and sulphate of ammonia ; in both cases adulteration has 
been less frequent than before. 
Raw unboiled bones, whether sent as |^-inch bones, ^-inch, or 
as bone-meal, have been of remarkably good quality and purity ; 
but the same cannot be said of boiled bones, many cases of 
adulteration of which I have had to report. The principal 
admixtures in the case of boiled bones are common salt, sulphate 
of lime (gypsum), and carbonate of lime (chalk). In several 
instances an endeavour has been made to impress upon me that 
the admixture of salt is really an advantage. But I fail to see 
how that can be of advantage to the farmer ; and even were it so, 
he would find it better to purchase the bones separately and the 
salt separately, and mix them himself, if he wished to do so, 
rather than pay for the admixture of salt at the same rate as for 
the more expensive bone. 
Refuse-Manures. — Continued agricultural depression has often 
attracted the attention of farmers to manures, almost the only 
recommendation of which has been their low price. In the 
Quarterly Reports I have over and over again referred to several 
of these manures, and the false economy involved in their 
purchase. It is, nevertheless, striking to see how, despite the 
publicity given to these warnings, such manures continue to find 
a sale, and how inquiries are still made of me which the pe- 
rusal of the pages to which I have referred would satisfactorily 
answer. 
Fish-Manures. — Mr. John Hughes, in the ' Agricultural 
Gazette,' of May 3rd, 1886, called attention to the very varying 
amounts of oil present in different samples of fish-guano, rightly 
remarking on the drawback that this was to their employment 
as manures. Following upon Mr. Hughes's observations, I 
have made several determinations of the oil contained in 
samples of fish - manure sent to me lately, and quote the 
following : — 
X 2 
