Report of the Consulting Chemist for 1SG9. 
141 
number of guano and oilcake analyses wtlch were issued from 
the Laboratory. 
The supply of Peruvian guano of best quality unfortunately is 
diminishing from year to year, and the rise in the price of guano 
has encouraged to a larger extent than formerly the fraudulent 
practices of unprincipled dealers. 
In the spring of the year several highly adulterated guanos were 
sent to me for analysis ; but the timely warning given in my 
reports in most cases guarded the sender against imposition, and 
loss of money and crops. It has come under my notice that 
guano has been offered lor sale by auction, professing to be equal 
in quality to samples analysed by me, and represented in the 
analyses shown at the public sale as good guanos. The bulk on 
delivery, however, has been found to have only a remote resem- 
blance with the guano as represented in the analysis handed round 
at the public sale. The transaction was so cautiously managed, 
however, that no legal remedy could be applied to recover damages, 
and several farmers who purchased the guano on the strength of 
my analysis, were grossly deceived. I would, therefore, strongly 
urge upon agriculturists on no account to purchase guano which 
is offered for sale by auction. Besides adulterated Peruvian 
guanos, artificial mixtures, resembling in appearance guano, were 
brought under my notice last season, professing to be peculiar 
kinds of phosphatic guanos. Such mixtures generally contain a 
little real guano, and the bulk consists of earthy matters of little 
or no fertilising value. These manures do not profess to be Peru- 
vian guano, but to come from some island or the other, the exist- 
ence of which often occurs only on paper ; and as these guanos 
are always sold at a low figure they find purchasers, although no 
guarantee as regards composition is given. In all cases in which 
guano is sold without an analysis, the purchaser runs the risk of 
being imposed upon. 
Compound artificial manures which are offered for sale at a 
low price, varying fj om 31. to bl. a ton, in most cases are not 
worth one-half or one-third the money which is asked for them ; and 
in some instances brought under my notice during the past season 
the manures sent to me lor analysis were not worth the carriage 
to a distance of 10 miles. 
Particular caution ought to be used by intending purchasers 
in cases in which artificial manures are offered for sale at a low 
figure under the names of British guano, blood or fish manure, or 
a similar enticing name. Frequently such have nothing in com- 
mon with guano, or with fish, or blood, except the name. 
In illustration of these remarks 1 may give the analysis of a 
sample of Pound's British guano, which was sent to me last 
spring by a member of the Society : — 
