Quarterly Reports of the Chemical Committee, 1887. 319 
with the moisture on heating, as the alkalies present would liberate the 
ammonia. 
"3rd. — The other part of the analysis is up to standard, the alkalies 
rather above. 
" 4th. — The insoluble silicious matter is principally fine granular garden 
sand, for the purpose of preventing the liquid extract forming a solid cake 
with the carbonate and phosphate of lime and organic carbon matter. 
" I can guarantee that you will be perfectly satisfied with the result you 
will get after using it. 
" The analysis is quite right, but the generality of manures have their 
principal ingi-edients in solids, but this being of a volatile nature, in 
analysis, would at once come off and be registered as moisture, and its com- 
position would not be noticed. 
" Trusting this explanation will be sufficiently explicit to aff'ord to you 
satisfaction as to its quality. Any further information you may require I 
shall be most happy to forward you, or if preferable will come over and see 
you. 
" I was not at all surprised at the tone of your letter, as it is the first 
time it has been sent to Dr. Yoelcker, and he, not knowing the nature of the 
moisture, would fail to notice any peculiarity in it. I put the terms — three 
months — on the invoice so that you will have the opportunity of seeing 
something of the effect before paying for it. 
" Sincerely hoping we may be favoured with your further orders for root 
manures, satisfaction of which we will guarantee. — Yours obediently, 
" Feed. 0. Geaet, Chemist to the firm." 
Dr. Voelcker wrote on May 4 : — 
«' C. P. Harvey, Esq., Sudborough, Thrapston. " May 4, 1887. 
" Oat Mantjee.— No, 461. 
" Deae Sie, — I am much obliged to you for sending particulars about 
the Carbon Fertiliser, and am very much amused with the letter which the 
vendors send. The process of analysis which I adopt would not allow any 
ammonia that the material might contain to escape estimation, and the 
water and the fine sand, however usefid they may be to the manufacturer, 
are not of value to you. 
" The manure is one quite unsuited for a crop of oats, and, as I said, is 
not worth one-sixth of what it costs. 
" Will you kindly let me know how the matter has been settled ? — 
Yours faithfully, "J. Augustus "Voelckee." 
The makers wrote on June 13 as follows : — 
" C. p. Harvey, Esq., Sudborough, Thrapston. 
"Dear Sir, — In answer to yours of the 11th inst,, re manure for corn 
crops, we thank you for your offer of one-sixth, but would prefer waiting 
until the corn is cut, when you will be better able to judge the value of the 
manure, and unless the yield is satisfactory we would rather take no pay 
at all. 
" We do not wish to say anytliing against Dr. Voelcker's process for 
manure analysis, but, nevertheless, we know ' practically ' as well as ' chemi- 
cally ' what our manures are capable of doing, and unless we had perfect 
confidence in them we should not think of pushing them. 
" Hoping to hear your decision after harvest, we are, yours faithfully, 
"Hewes, Hewes & Geary." 
