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GUIDE  TO  THE  PUECHASE  OF  ARTIFICIAL  MANURES 
AND  FEEDING  STUFFS. 
Feeding  Cakes. 
1.  Linseed-cake  should  be  purchased  as  “ Pure,”  and  the  insertion  of  this 
word  on  the  invoice  should  he  insisted  upon.  The  use  of  such  words  as 
“ Best,”  “ Genuine,”  &c.,  should  he  objected  to  by  the  purchaser. 
2.  Rape-cake  for  feeding  purposes  should  be  guaranteed  “ Pure  ” and 
purchased  by  sample. 
3.  Decorticated  Cotton-cake  should  be  guaranteed  “ Pure,”  and  purchased 
by  sample. 
4.  Undecarticated  Cotton-cake  should  be  guaranteed  “ Pure,”  and  purchased 
by  sample. 
~ N.B. — All  feeding  cakes  should  be  purchased  in  good  condition,  and  the 
guarantee  of  the  vendor  should  be  immediately  checked  by  a fair  sample  (taken 
out  of  the  middle  of  the  cake)  being  at  once  sent  for  examination  to  a competent 
analytical  chemist.  The  remainder  of  the  cake  from  which  the  sample  sent  for 
examination  had  been  taken  should  be  sealed  up  in  the  presence  of  a witness,  and 
retained  by  the  purchaser  for  reference  in  case  of  dispute. 
Artificial  Manures. 
1.  Raw  or  Green  Bones  or  Bone-dust  should  be  purchased  as  “Pure” 
Raw  Bones  guaranteed  to  contain  not  less  than  45  per  cent,  of  tribasic  phosphate 
of  lime,  and  to  yield  not  less  than  4 per  cent,  of  ammonia. 
2.  Boiled  Bones  should  be  purchased  as  “ Pure  ” Boiled  Bones  guaranteed 
to  contain  not  less  than  48  per  cent,  of  tribasic  phosphate  of  lime,  and  to  yield 
not  less  than  1|  per  cent,  of  ammonia. 
3.  Dissolved  Bones  are  made  of  various  qualities,  and  are  sold  at  various 
prices  per  ton ; therefore  the  quality  should  be  guaranteed,  under  the  heads 
of  soluble  phosphate  of  lime,  insoluble  phosphate  of  lime,  and  nitrogen  or  its 
equivalent  as  ammonia.  The  purchaser  should  also  stipulate  for  an  allowance 
for  each  unit  per  cent,  which  the  dissolved  bones  should  be  found  on  analysis 
to  contain  less  than  the  guaranteed  percentages  of  the  three  substances 
already  mentioned. 
4.  Mineral  Superphosphates  should  be  guaranteed  to  be  delivered  in  a 
sufficiently  dry  and  powdery  condition,  and  to  contain  a certain  percentage  of 
soluble  phosphate  of  lime,  at  a certain  price  per  unit  per  cent.,  no  value  to  be 
attached  to  insohible  phosphates. 
5.  Compound  Artificial  Manures  should  be  purchased  in  the  same  manner 
and  with  the  same  guarantees  as  Dissolved  Bones. 
6.  Nitrate  of  Soda  should  be  guaranteed  by  the  vendor  to  contain  from 
94  to  95  per  cent,  of  pure  nitrate. 
7.  Sulphate  of  Ammonia  should  be  guaranteed  by  the  vendor  to  contain 
not  less  than  23  per  cent,  of  ammonia. 
8.  Peruvian  Guano  should  be  sold  under  that  name,  and  guaranteed  to  be 
in  a dry  and  friable  condition,  and  to  contain  a certain  percentage  of  ammonia. 
N.B. — Artificial  manures  should  be  guaranteed  to  be  delivered  in  a sufficiently 
dry  and  powdery  condition  to  admit  of  distribution  by  the  drill.  A sample  for 
analysis  should  be  taken,  not  later  than  three  days  after  delivery,  by  emptying 
several  bags,  mixing  the  contents  together,  and  filling  two  tins  holding  about 
half  a pound  each,  in  the  presence  of  a witness.  Both  the  tins  should  be  sealed, 
one  kept  by  the  purchaser  for  reference  in  case  of  dispute,  and  the  other  for- 
warded to  a competent  analytical  chemist  for  examination. 
