140
GUANO.
excretion (now preparing for publication), all the above statements will be _broti§within the scope of general comprehension. I shall also describe my ‘ ammonia ? e ^,rator,’ based on the process invented in the laboratory' of Professor Liebig, and also ^‘ ammonia meter,’which, together, can detect and measure one hundredth P 111 *, 0 0 fgrain weight of absolute ammonia, whether potential or actual, in any sampl eguano. g f
“Meanwhile the following may be offered as the average result of my analysesgenuine guano in reference to its agricultural value :—
“ 1. Azotized animal matter, including urate of ammonia, to-gether capable of affording from 8 to 1(1 per cent, ofammonia by slow decomposition in the soil - - 50
2. Water - - - - - 8 to 11
3. Phosphate of lime - - - - - 12 to 25
4. Phosphate of ammonia, sulphate of ammonia, ammonia-
phosphate of magnesia, together containing from 5 to9 parts of ammonia - - - - - 13
5. Siliceous sand - - - - - - 1
100
“ Very moist guano has in general more actual and less potential ammonia thandry guano.
“ AnubeW 0 nr-
“London , 13 Charlotte street, Bedford square,
“ February 14, 1843.”
Oellacher’s analysis of a brownish yellow guano is as follows:—
the
1.
Urate of ammonia
- 12-20
Ammonia*
1*06
2.
Oxalate of ammonia
_
_
- 17-73
6-50
3.
Oxalate of lime
.
_
- 1-30
4.
Phosphate of ammonia
-
_
- 6-90
1-79
5.
Phosphate of ammonia and magnesia
-
- 11-63
1-68
6.
Phosphate of lime -
.
- 20-16
7.
Muriate of ammonia
_
- 2-25
0-72
8.
Chloride of sodium (common salt)
_
-
- 0-40
0-23
9.
Carbonate of ammonia
_
_
- 0-80
10.
Carbonate of lime
_
- 1-65
11.
Sulphate of potash
-
-
- 4-00
12.
Sulphate of soda
-
- 4-92
0-09
13.
Humate of ammonia
_
_
- 1-06
14.
Substance resembling wax -
_
_
- 0-75
15.
Sand -
-
- 1-68
16.
Water (hygroscopic)
-
-
- • 4-31
17.
Undefined organic matter -
-
-
_ - 8-26
.
100-00
12-07
I am satisfied from its large proportion of oxalate of ammonia, that the sa P T y c ]yanalyzed was by no means a fair or normal specimen of guano ; and it is m > j t jsdifferent from all the fresh samples which have passed through my ban w jbtedescribed as “ knobby, being mixed with light laminated crystalline portions* con cregrains, from the size of a pea to that of a pigeon’s egg.” Having some lum ;„ a tion.tions of a similar aspect in my possession, I submitted them to chemical exa ™ cok> r 'G. 1,000 grains being digested in boiling water and strained, afforded a na are( l. I 1less solution. This was concentrated till crystals of oxalate of ammonia al l ^ yje~was then acidulated wilh hydrochloric acid, to protect the phosphoric ac a j cnt to th ccipitalion, and next treated carefully wilh a solution of nitrate of lime equii- ca rhon aleoxalic acid present. The oxalate of lime thus obtained being converted in ceI it.
weighed 80-5 grains, corresponding to 100 of oxalate of ammonia, being *of the weight of the guano. „ i. aV ytes, ° n<1
The liquor filtered from the oxalate was precipitated by nitrate o ‘ fi]tr» taafforded 112 grains of sulphate of barytes = 38 sulphuric acid; and tna ', rsa tura tebeing mixed with a given measure of ferric acetate, and the mixture s 1 j loS plionwith ammonia, yielded subphosphate of iron, equivalent to 5 per ecnt o °j. s0 ]uti° n °.acid. I digested with heat other 500 grains of the same guano in a Wiji It 1
borax, filtered, acidulated the liquid, but obtained merely a trace of uu