216 
Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist. 
Analysis made for Members of the Royal Agricultural Society, 
Increase over 
preceding years. 
In 1867 .. 
.. 341 
„ 1868 .. 
.. 432 
91 
„ 1869 .. 
. 465 
33 
„ 1870 .. 
.. 580 
115 
„ 1871 .. 
.. 730 
150 
Increase of 1871 
over 1867. 
389 
The appended summary shows that a large number of feeding 
cakes and artificial manures were examined by me in 1871. 
Some of the samples of manures were found all but worthless 
and others of a very inferior character ; but, as I have already 
directed attention to special cases in my quarterly reports, I need 
not dwell, on the present occasion, on the subject of the adultera- 
tion of manures. Suffice it to say, that purchasers have still 
cause to be on their guard in buying manures, the composition 
and fertilizing qualities of which are not guaranteed by analysis. 
The habit of buying superphosphate of a guaranteed strength 
is gaining ground more and more ; and it is well that it should 
be so, for it is quite impossible to form even an approximate 
estimate of the value of a superphosphate or a similar artificial 
manure by any other means than by a quantitative chemical 
examination. 
1 would specially recommend all who buy mineral super- 
phosphate, to obtain a guarantee from the maker or dealer, stating 
the amount of soluble phosphate of lime which he is prepared to 
supply at a given price, and to stipulate for a deduction to be 
made if the bulk, on delivery, does not contain the guaranteed 
percentage of soluble phosphate. 
Bones have become scarce and dear of late years, and hence 
few manure manufacturers supply genuine dissolved bones ; that 
is, a fertilizer consisting of nothing else but bone-dust made 
partially soluble by acid. 
According to my experience, nine-tenths of commercial dis- 
solved bones are mixtures of mineral superphosphate with more 
or less bone-dust, partially acted upon by the acid of the super- 
phosphate. Such mixtures should not be sold as dissolved 
bones, but under a name which expresses more fairly the real 
character of the article. In buying bone-superphosphate or 
dissolvetl bones, the purchaser may reasonr>bly expect that any 
insoluble phosphate in the manure should be present in the shape 
of raw or boiled bone, and not as bone-ash, or in the shape of 
cojirolite powder, or any other form of mineral phosphate, and 
demand a guarantee accordingly. In the shape of bone, partially 
acted upon by acid, insoluble phosphate of lime has a high 
fertilizing value, whereas it is of little or no practical utility to 
the farmers if it o(;curs in a superphosphate in the state of a 
