IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josias Nottidge, of the Atlas Chemical Works,
Locksfields, Walworth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE."
Sealed the 8th January 1856, and dated the 27th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josias Nottidge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
September 1855.
I, JOSIAS NOTTIDGE, of the Atlas Chemical Works, Locksfields, Walworth,
in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in dissolving, by means of a caustic alkali, wool, hair,
woollen rags, shoddy, and other waste products of wool, for the purpose of
manure, and also in the combination of the solutions thus made with bones,
burnt bones, coprolites, and other similar substances or products thereof.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Josias Nottidge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAS
NOTTIDGE, of the Atlas Chemical Works, Locksfields, Walworth, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josias Nottidge, Her special licence that 1, the said Josias Nottidge, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josias
Nottidge, 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 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 MANURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Josias Nottidge, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Josias Nottidge, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in dissolving, by means of a caustic alkali, wool, hair,
woollen rags, shoddy, and other waste products of wool, for the purpose of
manure, and also in the combination of the solutions thus made with bones,
burnt bones, coprolites, and other similar substances or products thereof.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The alkali preferred for carrying out my Invention is caustic soda, by reason
of its cheapness, but other alkali may be employed; and in order to dissolve
wool, hair, woollen rags, shoddy, and other waste products of wool, I apply the
caustic alkali in combination with water. The proportions of alkali and water

page_text: for this purpose may be varied; but I prefer to use them in the proportion of
about five parts of caustic alkali to thirty-two parts of water.
The process of dissolving such matters by a caustic alkaline solution I
prefer to be performed cold, but the process may be quickened by applying
moderate heat. The wool, hair, woollen rags, shoddy, or other waste products
of wool being dissolved, the compound obtained is then in a condition to be
employed as manure, for which purpose I mix with the dissolved matters or
compound above mentioned, ground bones, burnt bones, coprolites, and other
similar substances or products thereof, such as are obtained by combining acid
therewith, and I mix the dissolved wool, hair, woollen rags, shoddy, or other
waste products of wool above mentioned in such proportion with the other
fertilizing agents as may be desired, and I use the above dissolved substances
or compound in such quantity in each preparation of manure as will give to
the manure the proportion of nitrogenous properties wished. I would remark
that it is not essential that the alkali used should be rendered caustic in the
first instance, as it may be rendered caustic when acting on the substances
above mentioned which are to be dissolved thereby.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josias Nottidge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
THOMAS HAINES WOODMAN,
of 81, Gracechurch Street.
JOSIAS NOTTIDGE.
(L.S.)