Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/295

 GUANO 281 these the ingredients have remained little changed in the dry atmosphere and under the tropical sun. The uric acid and ammonia, both products particularly subject to ferment and decompose in the presence of moisture, remain unaltered, except as they become dry and are locked up in the coarse brown powder produced from these and the other ingredients of the excrement. So the nitrate of soda and common salt, both deliquescent in a moist at- mosphere, are found as a dry deposit among the parched sands of the desert of Atacama in the same rainless district. In localities subject to rains these valuable nitrogenous compounds disappear, and the value of the guano consists principally in the next useful ingredients, the phosphates, which remain. The greater portion of the guano product of Peru is sent to Eng- land. The entire imports into Great Britain lounted in 1870 to 280,311 tons, valued at 3,476,680 ; in 1871, 178,808 tons, valued at 1,986,989; and in 1872, 118,704 tons, valued at 1,201,042. Of the imports in 1872, 74,401 tons, valued at 875,882, came from Peru ; 17,475 tons, worth 113,073, from the islands in the Pacific ; and 14,068 tons, worth 108,- 150, from Bolivia. During the year ending Tune 30, 1872, there was imported into the United States 14,309 tons of guano, valued at $423,323, of which 11,654 tons, worth $385,- 063, were from Peru, and 1,820 tons, worth t,473, from the British West Indies. Besides ris amount, 4,209 tons, valued at $60,865, were from the islands, rocks, and keys belong- ing to the United States. The composition of guano is exceedingly complex. The following minute analyses of South American samples were communicated by J. Denham Smith to the chemical society, and published in vol. ii. of their " Memoirs." Nos. 1 and 2 were in the state of powder; the others were of the con- crete variety : . CONSTITUENTS. I. 2. 3. 4. 5. Soluble in cold water. Water 222-00 215-00 204-20 106-66 77-00 Muriate of ammonia 25-50 85-22 4-43 30-80 Sulphate of potash. 80-00 Sulphate of soda trace 87-90 259-44 12-23 191-77 Oxalate of ammonia 74-00 100-38 93-90 Oxalate of soda 105-63 Phos. of ammonia. . 6330 30-06 61-24 trace Phosphate of lime. . 12-56 Phosphate of potash Phosphate of soda. . Chlor. of potassium 20-02 35-82 77-82 14-94 49'-47 8-60 41-63 Chloride of sodium. 29-22 9"-50 286-31 Organic matter 15-66 6l"-74 6-68 2-40 25-53 Soluble in boiling water. Urate of ammonia. 154-18 25-12 Uric acid 2516 Phos. am. and mag. 5-64 4-04 7-84 l"-83 Phosphate of soda. . Phosphate of lime . . Organic matter 1-20 1-26 11-18 1-28 2-88 6-88 8-60 trace 11-37 10-00 V-io 7-56 . Insoluble in water. Oxalate of lime 25-CO 107-26 109-58 Phosphate of lime . . 197-50 192-00 62-70 6C4'47 ttl'is Phos. of magnesia. . 20-30 19-84 8-74 30-56 25-80 Humus 25-36 20-60 8-62 ) .... Organic matter Water t 34-nii 11-40 42-42 49-74 V 29-73 I 80-60 i 18-36 Sand, &c.. > ( 15-fiO 16-4S 7-20 20-43 ' 4-20 Ox. iron and alum' a 1-50 Loss, &c 0-44 1-50 4-98 2-68 Total 1,000-00 1,000-00 1,000-00 1,000-00 1,002-22 The following are forms and examples of ordi- nary commercial analyses : BOLF ?IAN. CONSTITUENTS. Angamos. Peruvian. Ichaboe. Govern- ment. Inferior. Hand. bay. lian. nian. Chilian. Water 12-36 13-73 18-89 16-44 14-15 24-96 21-03 13-20 20-61 14-89 Org. matter and ammon'al salts . Phosphates 59-92 17-01 53-16 23-48 32-49 19-63 12-23 56-09 26-14 23-13 10-96 54-47 14-93 56-40 13-77 44-47 19-72 80-66 16-81 8690 Sulphate of lime 9-65 2-82 4-55 1-30 Carbonate of lime 12-87 2-20 8-82 3-06 10-28 Alkaline salts.. 7-20 7-97 8-82 11-33 5-97 4-06 6-io 7-34 7-01 6-84 Sand 3'51 1-66 6-72 2-81 8'09 0'51 1-54 7-85 17-04 14-26 Total 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 Ammonia.. 21-10 17-50 10-42 2-57 8-26 1-26 1-62 1-01 2-69 1-42 Phosphoric acid in alkaline salts 1-20 2-50 g-11 3-00 For commercial purposes it is of no impor- tance to enumerate all the compounds. The approximate value of samples can be arrived at in the following manner : Multiply the values named below by the per cent, found of each ingredient ; the sum obtained will repre- sent the value of 100 tons of the guano. Thus for the nitrogen found the rate per cent, is $370, or if, instead of this being separated, the ammonia is estimated, the rate is $300 ; for phosphate of lime the additional amount is $40 ; soluble phosphate of lime, $120 ; organic matter, $5; alkaline salts, $5; 'sulphate of lime, $5. Example of sample of first-class Pe- ruvian guano : Per cent. Moisture 15-10 Organic matter 51-27 x $5= $256 25 Silica 2-20 Phosphate of lime 22-13 x 40= 885 20 Phosphoric acid 3'23 Alkaline salts... 6-07x 5= 3035 100-00 Soluble phosphate of lime, equivalent to the phosphoric acid above 7'00 x 120= 840 00 Ammonia derivable from the organic matter above 16'42 x 300=4,926 00 Value of 100 tons $6,937 90 The following three analyses of Jarvis island and one of Baker's island guano are by Prof. John 0. Draper of New York :