An easy mode of ascertaining the capabilities of soil : tests for the purity of artificial manures : mode of preserving the fertilizing contents of a dung-heap from escape, &c. &c. / by John Robinson.

  • Robinson, John
Date:
[1854]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An easy mode of ascertaining the capabilities of soil : tests for the purity of artificial manures : mode of preserving the fertilizing contents of a dung-heap from escape, &c. &c. / by John Robinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Guano, when genuine, gives out a powerful ammoniacal smell when rubbed in a mortar with caustic lime, caustic potass, or caustic soda.* Its phosphorus and urea may be smelled when rubbed on the palm of a warm hand with the forefinger of the other. When genuine, it should be readily dissolved on the addition of boiling rain-water. The usual adulterants are—tanner’s bark, chopped fine, brickdust, Welch ocre, gypsum, &c. none of which are soluble in water. Sulphate of Lime or Gypsum should not effervesce on the addition of sulphuric or any acid. Bone Manure. » The boiling of bones does not extract their phosphorus, but their jelly and fat, both of which are fertilizing. Bone dust should never, if possible, be purchased finely pulverized. TO DISCOVER AND PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF AMMONIA FROM A DUNG-HEAP. As in all compost heaps the retention of what ammonia they may contain is a matter of primary importance, the means of informing himself of its escape should be an object of intense interest to the farmer. He is then informed that the form in which it is found in refuse and decomposing animal matter is that of carbonate, a volatile salt having a tendency to escape. Its escape, though unobservable by the eye, and not recognisable by the smell, may be easily detected by withdrawing the stopper of a bottle of hydrochloric acid, or spirit of salt, over the heap, when dense white fumes will arise, shewing its escape. * The presence of ammonia in soot may also be found in this way.
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