THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November 2, 1891. 
baeis mentioned ; to get the full manurial vnlue the 
mannres would have to be adjusted with in the case 
of the lowest, by increasing the quantity used and 
adding some nitrogenous matter to briuj; up the 
ammonia. In the case of the highest the additiou 
of a little more burnt earth or cattle manure would 
reduce it to the standard, tbe consumer benetiting 
in the reduced cost of carriage. 
The question of carriage is of as great impor- 
tance in the case of bones as it is with oil cake ; 
and a very little consideration will show that 
it is worth while to take a little trou- 
ble to secure a first rate article ; in England 
it the bones are not up to the standard guaranteed, 
the vendor pays the cost ot the aualyeia aud makes 
•n allowance to cover cost of carriage. 
One large firm of manure manufacturers in their 
annual circular issued in the spring of this year (1891) 
make the following allowances : — 
15/Od per unit for ammonia 
3/9d do do soluble phosphate 
2/6d do do bane phosphate 
The only stipulations of importance being that the 
Burplus value of one element shall be set against the 
deficit in the others if any exists ; and that they have 
the right if they are not satisfied with the analysis, to 
have a second one made and to strike the average of 
the results. 
Steamed bone flour as it decomposes more easily is 
considered to be worth five per cent more than 
tbe raw. 
The physical condition is in most cases, aud on 
tbe generality of soils very important, aud is worth 
paying for, as it means a quicker action when finely 
divided manures are used. If manuring can only be 
done on one-tbird of the estate per year, so that the 
whole is only manured once in three years, a mixture 
of steamed bone flour, raw boce meal, with if neces- 
sary some fish meal and oil cake to supply the extra 
ammonia would be a suitable manure, as the mate- 
rials would not all deoompose at once nor nt tbe 
same rate, but would gradually yield up the food to 
the plant ; the proportions should be adjusted 
to suit the soil, climate, &o. &o. Where possible 
I would prefer annual broad cast manuring. 
Fish when pure and dry is a very valuable manure, it 
decomposes more readily than either steamed bcDes 
or oil cake, when ground down to meal it is a very 
powerful stimulant, and must be used with care. 
The commercial article is often mixed with large 
quantities of sand ; I have examined some that had 
80 per cent in it, but the following aualyses show that 
with care the sand and insoluble matter need not 
esoeed 2 per cent. All over this should be deducted 
from the gross weight, and if it exceeds 5 per cent an 
allowance should be made to defray expense of carri- 
age. I also give the analyses of two eamples by John 
Hughes, F. 1. c. &c., which represent the ordinary article 
of commerce where no limit is placed on tbe amount 
of sand. Mr. Hughes found as much as 62 per cent of 
sand in a sample and he considers No. 1 to be a fair 
average of fish usually imported in Oeylon, No. 3 fairly 
represents the best quality delivered in Coorg,and the 
supply is practically unlimited ; it could be greatly 
improved by squeezing some of the oil out of it. 
Fish Manure 
J. Hughes Pringle 
No. 12 3 4 
Fish Salt 
manure. Whole. Fish. fish. 
5-24 13-12 13-78 12-32 
Analyst. 
43.40 54-40 
Moisture 
{•) Organic 
matter 31-18 
(t) Phosphoric 
acid 5-24 
Lime 6-20 
Alkaline 
Salts &o. 3.37 5-49 5-35 (J) 14-96 
Sand 48-77 19-10 1-23 *2-63 
8-70 
19-10 
8-22 
17-02 
62.09 
3- 4G 
4- 54 
(«) Conta-'niog 
oitiogen 
10000 ICO-OJ 100-00 
4-01 5-84 
5;71 
lOO-OO 
■^4-57 
Equal to 
ammonia 4-87 
(t) Equal to tricalcic 
phosphate 11-44 
(\) Containing com- 
mon salt 
Tlie value of No. 1 is 
Phosphates 1144 at 
Ammonia 4-87 at 
7-09 6-92 
18-99 17-92 
R. 
8 
30 
Total value.. .R38 
^yhile No. 3 is worth 
Phoephtttea 17-92 at 
Ammonia 6 92 at 
13 
42 
Total value.. .1155 
Annas. 
10 
0 
10 
8 
5-54 
7-51 
14-75 
Hughes' No. 2 sample is worth a little more. 
It is usual to consider J per cent under or over 
tbe whole number a fair allowance for errors in sam- 
pling &c. end to pay on each half per cent. It is 
a fair give and take arrangement between buyer aud 
seller. Thus 10 5 per cent is paid for as 10 and one 
^, 10 3 or 10 7 at the same rate, but 10-8 is paid 
lor as 11 aud 10-2 as 10. 
So far I have dealt with readily procurable native 
manures, but where carriage is very expensive, it is 
cheaper to use more concentrated manures which can 
be dilated with burnt earth or cattle manure or 
weed compost, or juugle, or soil &e. as may be thought 
best. 
In other cases a heavy crop is on tbe trees and 
tliey are to be backed up; a quick acting manure 
must be used to enable them to satisfactorily ripen 
it, and leave tbe trees fit for the next one. So with 
leaf disease or anything else that exhausts, backed 
up by easily assimilable food not only help the 
trees to recover rapidly, but minimize the risk 
of loss of crop. 
First let us consider a case where carriage costs 
Bay R50 per ton and 6 tons ammonia is to be supplied. 
100 tons oil cake 6 per cent at R6 per unit=R3,600 
Carriage of 6 tons of ammonia ... 6,000 
Cost ot 6 tons on the estate 
R8,600 
Equal to per ton of ammonia ... Rl,433 
10 per cent oil cake is worth to the planter quite 
one rupee per ton more than 7 per cent and a fair 
price for it would be seven rupees per unit ton; 60 
tons will give 6 tons ammonia aud the cost is 
60 tons oil cake 10 per cent at E7 per unit =R4,200 
Carriage of 6 tons ammonia ... = 3,000 
Cost of 6 tons on the estate 
E7,200 
Equal to per ton ... ... ... Rl,200 
A saving of Rl,400 by using 10 per cent at R7 per 
unit ton instead of 6 per cent at R6, equal to K233 
per ton of ammonia delivered; Now if 24 per cent 
sulphate of ammonia costing RIO per unit ton is used 
only 25 tons are required, one-fourth the weight of 
6 per cent oil cake ; a consideration of the utmost 
importance where the manure has to be carried on 
the heads of coolies. 
25 tons 24 per cent ammonia sulphate at E10=6,000 
Carriage of 6 tons of ammonia ... ... 1,250 
117,250 
Equal to per ton ... ... ,..El,208 
By using the equivalents of 100 tons 6 per cent oil 
cake, with 10 per cent, a saving of Rl,400 is effected 
and with sulphate of ammonia 24 per cent Rl,350. 
Wher>9 the carriage is R50 per ton or less, the 10 per 
cent. "Hindy" has tbe advantage over the sulphate 
in cost; it is however so much slower in aition thit 
where immediate result? are to be produced the am 
monia sulphate is decidedly to be preferred. When 
