The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-01-29 00:00:00

NO. XVII

In our last we mentioned burned bone dust as a valu-
able manure ; indeed, bones in any form are powerful
regenerators of soil exhausted by heavy crops, as they
supply the phosphates in great abundance. The best
way of preparing them is, first to boil the bones until the
oily particles are completely removed, then dissolve them
in sulphuric acid diluted with three times its weight of
water ; when the solid parts of the bones are dissolved
by the acid make it one hundred times weaker by the
admixture of water, and distribute it over the land as
liquid manure ; but if bones are to be used with a fallow
crop, such as turnips, they are best in a solid form, as
dust, or crushed small, because the turnips readily assi-
milate sufficient for their growth, and the disintegration
of the remainder is carried on slowly, and remains to
supply the following crop of corn ; whereas, if adminis-
tered in the liquid form most of it would be carried into
the subsoil by rain water percolating through the super-
stratum. Bones form admirable manure, in most soils,
for wheat, oats, turnips, clover, and potatoes. Guano
has been much used of late in urope, and its properties
have long been known to the Peruvians, who made use of
it even in the mountain districts far inland, to which it
was conveyed from the sea shore on the backs of Llamas,
two small bags being slung over each animal, like pan-
niers. Its value at first was much injured by its indiscri-
minate application to all kinds of soils and crops ; its real
value is now understood, and it has become a most useful
manure, particularly on account of its portability and easy
application either in the liquid or solid form.
The following analysis of Peruvian guano may be relied
on :

Oxalate of ammonia lo'o
Urate of ammonia 9'6
Oxalate of lime
Phosphate of ammonia 6.0
Phosphate of magnesia and ammonia 2.6
Sulphate of potash 5.5
Sulphate of soda
t 'Minute of ammonia 4.2
Phosphate of life l4'3
Clay and sand 4.7
Vanous organic substances and water 52'3

These proportions may vary in guano of different loca-
lities, but for general purposes it will be sufficient, prov-
ing that it is particularly rich in the ammoniacal combi-
nations whichfurnishnitrogen, and also in the phosphates ;
hence, as a manure for the cereal and other grasses it is
especially good. But perhaps no manure requires more
judgment in its use than guano, for it possesses such
powerful stimulants in so concentrated a form that injury
rather than good will be sure to result from a careless
application of it to land already rich in the nitrogenous
compounds and phosphates.

MISCELLANEA

Another Water Lily.—The following we have ex-
tracted from a long and interesting letter in the Literary
Gazette, entitled " Journal of a Trip made by three Offi-
cers of the Hon. East India Company's Service, from
Jehelum to Cashmere, in 1849" :—" The Dell lake is a
fine sheet of water, situated between the town and the
mountains on the eastern side of the valley ; it is some
five or six miles long by five wide, and lying in a slight
hollow of the hills, which slope gracefully down to its
edge, it has a lovely effect. In this lake are the celebra-
ted floating gardens. A kind of reed grows in the water,
composed of strong stems, long and pliable : the inhabi-
tants make a sort of basket-work from these, upon which
a little earth being spread, the whole floats. Melons,
cucumbers, and others of the gourd tribe grow to great
perfection in these gardens, which are about thirty feet
long by six wider they are moored to a stick at either

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