THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November 2, 1891 
298 
basis mentioned ; to got the tali manurial value the 
mannres wonid have to be adjusted with iu the case 
of the lowest, by increasing the quantity used and 
adding some nUrogenons matter to bring np the 
ammonia. In tbs case of the highest the addition 
of a lii tie more burnt earth or cattle manure wonid 
rednoe it to the standard, the consumer benefiting 
in the reduced ooat of carriage. 
The question of carriage is of as great impor- 
tance in the case of bonee as it is with oil cake 
and a very Jittle consideration will show that 
it is worth while to take a little trou- 
ble to seoure a first rate article ; in Bngland 
if the bones are not up to tbe standard guaranteed, 
tbe vendor pays tbe cost of the analysis and makes 
an allowance to oovet ooat of ouriiago. 
One largo firm of manure manufacturers iu their 
annual circular issued in the spring of this year (ISfil) 
make tbo following allowances : — 
15/Od per unit for ammonia 
3/9d do do soluble phosphate 
2/6d do do bene phosphate 
Tbe only stipulations of importance being that the 
surplus value of one clement shall he set against the 
deficit in the others if suy exists ; and that they have 
tbe right if they are not satisfied with tbe analysis, to 
have a second one made and to strike the average of 
tbe results. 
Steamed bone flour as it deeomposca more easily is 
considered to be worth five per cent more than 
tbe raw. 
The physical condition is in most oases, and on 
tbo generality of soils very importsut, and is worth 
paying for, as it means a quicker action when finely 
divided manures are used. If manuring can only be 
done on one-third of tbe estate per year, so that the 
whole is only manured onco in three years, a mixture 
of steamed bone flour, raw bone 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 decompose at once nor at the 
same rate, hut would gradually yield up tbo food lo 
the plant ; tbe proportions should be adjusted 
to suit the soil, climate, ifco. dro. Where possible 
X would prefer annual broad cast manuring. 
Fish when pure and dry is a very valuabie manure, it 
decomposes more readily than either steamed bones 
or oil cake, when ground down to meal it is a very 
powerful stimulant, and must be u.sed witb care. 
The commercial article is ofteu mixed with large 
quantities of sand ; 1 have examined some tliat bad 
M per cent in it, but the following analyses show that 
with care the sand and insoluble matter ueed not 
exceed 2 por cent. All over this abould be deducted 
from tbo grors weight, and if it exceeds .fi per cent an 
allowance should be made lo defray expeuse of carri- 
age. I alao give the analyses of two samples by John 
Hughes, V. I. c. ke,, which represent tbo ordiuary article 
of commerce whera no limit is placed on the amount 
of sand. Mr. Hughes found as much as 02 per cent of 
Band in a sample and he oonsidets No. 1 to be a fair 
average of fish usually imported in Oeylon, No. 3 fairly 
represents tbe best quality delivered iu Coorg,and the 
supply is practically unlimited j it could be greatly 
improved by squeezing aomo of the oil out of it. ^ 
Analyst. 
Fish 
J. Hugbea 
No. 1 2 
Manure 
Pringle 
3 
4 
Fish 
mauttre. 
Whole. 
Fish. 
Balt 
fish. 
Moisture 
5-24 
13-12 
13-78 
12-32 
(•) Organic 
matter 
31 ’18 
43.40 
54-40 
G2,09 
(f) Phosphoric 
acid 
5-24 
8’7U 
8-22 
3-46 
liima 
6-20 
19-10 
17-02 
4-51 
Alkaline 
Sails &o. 
3.37 
6-49 
5-35 (t) 
14-96 
Band 
48-77 
19-10 
1-23 
2-63 
100 00 
ICOOl 
100-00 
100-00 
(*) Containing 
DitiOgeu 
4-01 
6-84 
6i71 
■”4-57 
Equal to 
ammonia 487 
7-09 6-92 
6-64 
(t) Equal to tricalcio 
phrRphate 11*44 
18-99 17-92 
7-54 
(t) Containing oom« 
mon ialt 
Tiio value of No. 1 is 
R. 
14-76 
B. Annas. 
Pbofipbatos 11 '44 at 
3 
8 
10 
Ammonia 4*87 at 
6 
30 
0 
Total value. 
..R38 
10 
While No. 3 is worth 
Phosphales 17'92 at 
i 
13 
8 
Ammouia 0 02 at 
0 
42 
0 
Total value... 
R55 
8 
Hughes’ No. 2 sample is worth a little more. 
It is usual to consider ^ per cent under or over 
the whole number a fair allowance for errors in sam- 
pling &o. and to pay on each half per cent. It is 
a fair give and take arrangement between buyer and 
seller. Thus 10 S per cent is paid for as 10 and one 
10 3 or 10 7 at the same rate, but 10-8 is paid 
tor ns 11 aud 102 as 10. 
So far I have dealt with readily pruourable native 
manures, but n here carriage is very expensive, it is 
cheaper to use mure concentrated manures wliich can 
be dilated with burnt earth or cattle manure or 
weed compost, or jungle, or soil &c. as may be thought 
best. 
In other cases a heavy crop is on tbe trees and 
they are to be backed np ; a quick acting manure 
must be used to enable them to satisfactorily ripen 
it, and leave the 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 
say R50 per ton and 6 tons ammonia is to bo supplied. 
100 tons oil cake 6 per cent at R6 per unit =R3,(i00 
Carriage of 6 tons of ammonia ... 5,0(10 
Cost of 0 tons on tbe estate ... R8,600 
Eqnal to per ton of ammonia ... 111,433 
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 wonid he seven rupees per unit ton; 60 
tons will give 0 tons ammonia and tbe cost is 
60 tons oil cake 10 per cent at E7 per unit =R4,200 
Carrisga of 6 tons ammonia ... = 8,000 
Cost of (1 tons on the estate ... R7,200 
Equal to por ton ... ... ... Rl.aOO 
A saving of Rl.lOO by using 10 per cent at R7 pet 
unit ton instead of 6 per cent at R6, equal to R288 
per toil 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 tbe weight of 
6 per coot oil oake ; a consideration of the utmost 
importance where the manure has to be carried ou 
the heads of coolies, 
25 tons 24 per cent ammouia sulphate at B10“6,000 
Carriage of 6 tons of ammonia ... ... 1,260 
R7,250 
Equal to per ton ... ... ...Rl,208 
By using tbe equivalents of 100 tons 6 per cent oil 
oake, with 10 percent, a saving of Rl, 400 is effroted 
and witb snlphate of ammonia 24 per cent RES!)!). 
Where the carriage is B50 per ton or less, the 10 per 
cent. “Hindy” has tbe advantage over the sulphate 
in cost; it is however so much slower iu action llmt 
where immediate results ore lo be produced the am 
inonia sulphate is decidedly to ha preferred. When 
