IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Perkins, of Narrow Street, Lime-
house, in the County of Middlesex, Analytical Chemist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
MANURE."
Scaled the 20th December 1853, and dated the 20th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William
Perkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th June 1853.
I, JOHN WILLIAM PERKINS, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL
MANURE to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in fixing the salts and odorous gases usually
contained in fecul by the use and admixture therewith of either sul-
phuric acid or hydro-chloric acid, by which the nitrogeneous matters
contained therein will become fixed, and the fecul thereby converted

page_text: into a perfectly inodorous carbonic compound. Of the above acids
preference is given to an admixture of both, which should be poured
into a tank containing the fecul, and agitated therewith in combina-
tion with the ammoniacal liquor from gas works, or the liquor ammonia
from animal charcoal, which is thus converted into a fixed salt, niuriate
or sulphate of animonia, as the case may be, either acid being used. The
mass should then be well stirred so as to effect a combination of the
salts, after which an absorbent matter, consisting of gypsum,
bone dust,
animal charcoal, sugar, scum appalites in fine powder, or native phos-
phate of lime, sulphate of soda, sulphate of potash, chloride of sodium,
charcoal, or other absorbent matters, the quantity of free acid required
always being sufficient to render the phosphates soluble; these matters
are incinerated together in ovens heated to a slight heat to render them
sufficiently dry for commerce, in which state the mixture is bagged up
ready for use, and will be found to possess greater fertilizing power than
the artificial manures as hitherto manufactured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John William Perkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN WILLIAM PERKINS, of Narrow Street, Limehouse, in the County
of Middlesex, Analytical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing late the Twentieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John William Perkins, Her special licence
that I, the said John William Perkins, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John William Perkins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the

page_text: term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MANURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John William Perkins, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John William Perkins, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
My Invention consists in fixing the salts and odorous gases usually
contained in fecal fish or fish-refuse by the use and admixture there-
with of either sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid, by which the
nitrogenous matters contained therein will become fixed, and I prefer
the admixture of both, which should be poured into a tank containing
the focal, and then agitated in combination with the ammoniacal liquor
from gas works, or the liquor ammonia from animal charcoal, and is
thus converted into a fixed salt, muriate or sulphate of ammonia, or
nitrogenous matter, as the case may be. The mass should then be well
stirred so as to effect a combination of the salts and gases contained in
the organic matters, after which an absorbent matter is added, con-
sisting of gypsum, bone dust, animal charcoal, sugar, scum appatites in
fine powder, or native phosphate of lime, sulphate of soda, sulphate of
potash, chloride of sodium, charcoal, or any of them, or a mixture of any
of them, the quantity of free acid required being always suflicient
to render the phosphates soluble. These matters are incinerated
together in suitable ovens heated to a temperature of from 200 to 800
degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer to render said matters sufficiently
dry for commercial purposes, in which state the mixture is put into
bags ready for use, and such mixture or artificial manure will be found

page_text: to possess greater fertilizing power than the artificial manures as hitherto
manufactured.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I
now proceed to describe the best means with which I am acquainted of
practically working my said Invention, together with the several
matters or ingredients which I employ, and the mode of combining the
same so as to produce an improved artificial manure, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESSES.-Process No. 1.
I commence by making superphosphate of lime by decomposing
appatites, phosphorolites, coporolites, bones, or bone ash in hydrochloric
acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or any one of them, or a mixture of
any two or more of them, and I propose employing such superphos-
phate of lime for the purpose of supplying that proportion of inorganic
matter necessary for the developement of vegetable life; and I would
here remark, that in making superphosphate of lime from any of the
above-mentioned matters or ingredients I prefer for the purpose of
effecting such decomposition using a mixture of hydrochloric and
sulphuric acid in the proportion of about two thirds of sulphuric acid
to one third of hydrochloric acid.
Process No. 2.
Another and better mode of making superphosphate of lime according
to my said Invention is as follows:-I take appatites, phosphorolites,
coporolites, bones, bone ash, or any of them, or a combination of any
of them, and placing them in a reverberatory furnace, I heat them to a
dull red heat, and whilst in that state I combine them with the acids
above mentioned, or any one of them, or a mixture of any two or more
of them, in the manner usually practised of making superphosphate of
lime, and in this manner and by these means I produce superphosphate
of lime. But in using the said acids I prefer using the mixture, and in
the proportions described in Process No. 1. And I employ the suner-
Another and better mode of making superphosphate of lime according
to my said Invention is as follows:-I take appatites, phosphorolites,
coporolites, bones, hone ash, or any of them, or a combination of any
of them, and placing them in a reverberatory furnace, I heat them to a
dull red heat, and whilst in that state I combine them with the acids
above mentioned, or any one of them, or a mixture of any two or more
of them, in the manner usually practised of making superphosphate of
lime, and in this manner and by these means I produce superphosphate
of lime. But in using the said acids I prefer using the mixture, and in
the proportions described in Process No. 1. And I employ the super-
phosphate of lime obtained by either of the above-mentioned processes
as a powder, after being reduced to that state by any of the known

page_text: means for effecting the same, for the purpose of causing the absorbtion
of night soil, fish, or fish-refuse, or other organic matter previously
decomposed by the application of sulphuric acid, or any other of the
above-mentioned acids, or any mixture of them in the proportion of
about 10 per cent. thereof, and thus I produce superphosphate of
Another part of my said improvements consists in decomposing or car-
bonizing night soil, fish, fish-refuse, or other organic matters by the use
of large quantities of hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or any
one of them, or a mixture of any two or more of them, and thereby to
produce superphosphate of lime compost direct by the addition thereto
of appatites, phosphorolites, coporolites, bones, bone ash, or any one of
them, or a combination of any two or more of them. And to the said
superphosphate of lime compost, whether made under this Process or
under Processes Nos. 1, or 2, I apply and combine soluble silica con-
verted by any of the known means into silicate of soda or potass from
the silica; such as is found in the neighbourhood of Farnham or
elsewhere, for the purpose of supplying a natural deficiency in most
soils, namely, that due proportion of silica in a state of solubility
necessary for maintaining heavy crops in an erect position, and thereby
I obviate the predisposition which all plants have to "lodge" when in
a high state of cultivation.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of Improve-
ments in the Manufacture of Artificial Manure," and the means by
which the same may be effected, I declare my Invention to consist in,
and I claim, firstly, the producing of superphosphate of lime in the
manner and by the means herein-before particularly set forth at Pro-
cesses Nos. 1, and 2, and the use and employment thereof in and
for the manufacture of artificial manure in the manner set forth and
described.
Secondly, the mode set forth at Process No. 3, of manufacturing
artificial manure by producing superphosphate of lime compost direct

page_text: by the addition thereto of appatites, phosphorolites, coporolites, bones,
bone ash, or any one of them, or a combination of any two or more of
such said matters or ingredients, and the combining therewith of soluble
silica converted into silicate of soda or potass for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Perkins, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
JOHN WILLIAM PERKINS. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.