Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887,
I, THOMAS ROXBURGH, of Collins Street West, in the City of Melbourne, and
Colony of Victoria, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of an improved process of making manure. of a forcing as
well as of a sustaining nature which can be sold at a cheap rate.
I first provide vats or other vessels in sufficient number and of sufficient capacity
and in them I place a layer of sea-weed, succeeded by a layer of blood and slaughter-
house offal, then (if available) a layer of cut-up carcases of horses or other animals,
then a layer of nightsoil, and finally a quantity of urine. These are intimately
admixed and then sulphuric acid is added and the admixture continued till the action
of the acid has apparently ceased. After this, the mass continues to be turned over,
dry lignite dust, or the composition known as "Hunter's deodorising disinfectant "
being constantly sprinkled over it as it is being turned over so as to make the whole
a homogeneous inass.
As a guide to the proportions of these ingredients, I would use, at least five
hundredweight of sea-weed, twenty hundredweight of blood and slaughterhouse offal,
at least five hundredweight of cut-up carcases of horses or other animals, twenty-five
hundredweight of nightsoil, five gallons of urine, four hundred and twenty pounds
sulphuric acid, and fifteen hundredweight of dry lignite dust or Hunter's deodorising
disinfectant.
The sulphuric acid must be more than sufficient to seize and retain any ammonia
that may be then existent or may be generated in the vats.
The admixture of the above materials constitutes the first step in this process, and
the semi-liquid mass is removed into a shed by preference asphalted. As the heap
rises in height to say eighteen inches or two feet, I add a three-inch layer of stable
manure (having the straw in it) and at every succeeding eighteen inches or two feet I
add another similar layer of stable manure, until the whole forms one large heap. The
floor of the shed I make slightly sloping towards an open asphalted drain leading to
a well for the reception and retention of the drainage which is afterwards used in my
Die A27

page_text: process. This heap then lies undisturbed for two or three months, the longer the
better, during which time the moisture drains out of it into the well just referred to.
This moisture contains sulphate of ammonia and a quantity of free sulphuric acid.
The next step in the process is to break down the heap gradually and remove the
large bones of the animals, and to mix with the mass, about two hundredweight of
bone-dust to the ton, and also to sprinkle the drainage liquid just referred to uniformly
over the whole so as if possible to make it touch every portion of it. The mass is
then allowed to stand for a further period of from four to six weeks, during which
time a very much higher temperature is reached than before, by reason of the air
admitted during the breaking-down process, and active decomposition is set up, the
sulphuric acid in the drainage liquid with which it was sprinkled being now available
to seize upon and convert into sulphate of ammonia, any ammonia that may be
generated in the presence of decomposition and at the same time assist in rendering
the bone-dust more soluble. The undigested bones may be treated separately and
thereafter used as an ingredient in the manufacture of my manure.
The next and final step in the process is to again break down the heap gradually
and to distribute through it a further two hundredweight of bone-dust, preferably
superphosphated, together with a quantity of gypsum equal to about five per cent. of
the weight of the mass, this latter ingredient being to assist in fixing any further
ammonia that may be generated, and to convert it into sulphate of ammonia, besides
being in itself a fertilising agent. If preferred, the superphosphated bone-dust and
the gypsum may be added with the bone-dust and drainage liquor in the preceding
step, but in that case the final result would not be so matured a manure.
After this latter step, the temperature of the heap rises very high, the surplus
moisture evaporates, and decomposition proceeds very rapidly, so that in about two or
three weeks the composition is ready for the land in the shape of a very valuable
manure having both forcing and sustaining qualities, and resembling nothing so much
as earth in appearance.
I wish it to be understood that sea-weed, animal (horse) carcases and super-
phosphated bone-dust, are not essential ingredients in my process, but can be
dispensed with if so desired, although the manure is not so good without them as it is
with them. Further, the quantity of bone-dust superphosphated or not may be
increased or diminished if so preferred as it is merely a question of quality and price
of the manure although I believe the quantities I have stated to be the best for
ordinary purposes. And lastly, the sea-weed could be burnt and its ashes added to
the heap during the final step in my process instead of being added at the first but I
prefer using it in its natural condition at the outset as herein before described.
My process can be carried on without the slightest offensiveness of smell and
provides a simple and efficacious means of disposing of the nightsoil without losing
any of its fertilising properties.
I would have it understood that I do not claim the exclusive use of any of the
materials used in my process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
The process as a whole of making manure by the successive steps and of the
materials-and in the manner substantially as herein described and explained.
Dated this Seventh day of June 1887.