Phosplinti'c MatoHdh used for Ar/ricultHral Purposes. 370 
The subjoined analyses illustrate the differences found in 
samples of various qualities : — 
Composition of Animal Charcoal (Bone-UacJi). 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
No. 3. 
No. 4. 
No. 6. 
No. 6. 
No. 7. 
Moisture and organic"! 
matter / 
30 "26 
9 
52 
30-15 
27-98 
17- 
38 
12 
63 
12 
54 
Phosphates of lime and! 
Carbonate of lime, mag-j 
60-75 
82 
48 
55-01 
49-69 
68 
53 
68 
41 
70 
16 
nesia, &c. (by dif-> 
Insoluble siliceous mat- 1 
5-96 
6 
19 
8-81 
13-90 
9 
42 
14 
27 
12 
77 
3-03 
1 
81 
6-03 
8-43 
4 
67 
4 
69 
4 
53 
100-00 
100 
00 
100-00 100-00 
100 
00 
100 
00 
100 
00 
11. Bones. 
Bones are used for agricultural purposes in the following 
states : — 
n. Bone-dust. 
h. Boiled Bones. 
c. Bone Shavings. 
a. Bone-Dust. 
Before crushing, raw or butchers' bones are now generally 
boiled out in an open cauldron, and by this means deprived, in 
a great measure, of their fat. As an article of commerce fat is 
the most valuable constituent of bones. As a manuring agent it 
has no value whatever, or pei'haps, more strictly speaking, its 
presence is undesirable, inasmuch as it retards the decompo- 
sition and solution of the bones. Far from being injurious, the 
removal of fat from the bones decidedlv improves their agricul- 
tural value. 
The following is the average composition of a number of 
samples of bone-dust analysed by me : — 
Moisture 12-06 
♦Organic matter 29 -12 
Phosphates of lime and magnesia (bone-earth) .. 49-54 
Carbonate of lime (determined by difference) .. G-99 
Alkaline salts and magnesia (chiefly common salt) 1-91 
S^and -38 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 3-69 
Equal to ammonia 4-49 
YOL. XXI. 2 D 
