tage. It will now be understood that the heavy dressing of manure used for the potato is again to be called upon to supply nourishment to the succeeding crops, and what splendid produce of roots do we often see. During our experience in these matters we have invariably noticed that some of the heaviest and best returns of roots have been in immediate succession to early potatoes.

In our remarks on the manure employed we have mentioned guano; we would observe that this article, so valuable to the farmer, was first brought to this island from Ichaboe in 1844, when its worth was much questioned and its use very little known; it is indeed comparatively only of late years that it has been extensively employed: its effects are surprising; we have seen on the same piece of ground two plots, one dressed with good farm-yard manure, the other dressed and treated precisely in the same manner, but with the addition of guano at the rate of 300 lbs. per vergée, and the two planted in fluke potatoes, when a difference of more than 50 per cent. resulted in favour of the piece where guano had been applied. We have also observed that where the potatoes were allowed to remain long in the ground, the haulm on the plot where the guano had been applied continued longer to vegetate than on the other; and finally, the haulm dried up somewhat in the manner before described. In 1867 there were imported to this island 379 tons of guano, and in 1868 the quantity amounted to 496 tons. It will be seen by this how much guano is now valued, and as its particular employment is for the culture of the potato, some approximate idea can be made of the quantity used for the crop. At the same time we must guard against drawing definite conclusions hastily on this point, as we know that guano is coming greatly into favour, and is used by many for grass-land in lieu of sea-weed; and in a general way, if the farm-yard cannot produce a sufficient supply of manure to meet the farmer's wants, he has frequently recourse to guano to make up the deficiency.

By reference to the returns made here last year for the information of the Board of Trade, we learn that potatoes occupied 5129 vergées of our land; and as the whole superficial area of the island is calculated at 64,613 vergées, it follows that nearly one-twelfth part of the island's surface was devoted to the crop. Let us next see what has been the quantity of the produce exported from the island, and endeavour to compute what is the gross amount returned to the growers of potatoes by the export of the last year, 1868.

From the collective statements kindly placed at our disposal by the Custom-house authorities, the agents of the Steam-packet Companies, and merchants, we find the exports to have been as follows:

In packages, by steam-vessels to Southampton, Weymouth, and Littlehampton, 5458 tons.

The first package left the island on the 19th of March; this was followed by another on the 24th; by four more on the 26th; by two on the 7th of April; by forty-three on the 21st of April, when the season may be said to have opened. On the 30th of the month the number swelled up to one hundred and forty-three packages.

In loose cargoes by sailing-vessels, there were shipped for the following ports :

Thus giving a total of 7890 tons, the value of which we deduce from statements of returns to have been as follow::- J

In taking into consideration the produce of the land on which the early potatoes have been cultivated, we must not omit to add to the amount exported (which shows a gross return of more than 17s. 6d. per vergée on the whole area of the island for the export of potatoes only), the quantity left in the island for the supply of nearly 60,000 inhabitants, and also the plant for the ensuing year. These two items must be very considerable. Moreover, we must add to the produce of the same ground the successive root-crops to which we have alluded, which enable the farmers to keep more of their holdings in grass, and consequently to increase the number of their stock. Furthermore, let us not lose sight of the wonderful activity prevailing in these ports during the potato season. Commerce, the twin sister of agriculture, is not without its share of benefit. Steam communication is doubled, and its advantages are extended to passenger as well as to cargo traffic. In a word, the whole ma

chinery of business is at work, and its good effects conspicuously felt through every channel of the insular trade.

We close this Report with the following tabular statement of exports, taken from published returns, of several preceding years, commencing with 1807, when potatoes were first exported :—

VI.-Report of the Consulting Chemist for 1869.

THE duties of the chemical officer of the Society are of a twofold character. They are connected, in the first place, with the analytical work referred to him by individual members of the Society; and, secondly, they embrace special experiments and researches with which the consulting chemist is charged by the Chemical Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society.

With regard to the first division of my duties, I have the satisfaction of reporting that during the past season the members of the Society availed themselves of the privilege of obtaining analytical reports at the Society's fixed low rate of charges more frequently than in any preceding year.

A considerable increase in the number of analyses took place in 1868, being then larger than the total number of analyses recorded in any previous year, and exceeding that of 1867 by 91.

In 1869 again the analytical work increased, and as many as 465 analyses were made for members of the Society. The appended summary shows that this increase is chiefly due to the larger

number of guano and oilcake analyses which were issued from the Laboratory.

The supply of Peruvian guano of best quality unfortunately is diminishing from year to year, and the rise in the price of guano has encouraged to a larger extent than formerly the fraudulent practices of unprincipled dealers.

In the spring of the year several highly adulterated guanos were sent to me for analysis; but the timely warning given in my reports in most cases guarded the sender against imposition, and loss of money and crops. It has come under my notice that guano has been offered for sale by auction, professing to be equal in quality to samples analysed by me, and represented in the analyses shown at the public sale as good guanos. The bulk on delivery, however, has been found to have only a remote resemblance with the guano as represented in the analysis handed round at the public sale. The transaction was so cautiously managed, however, that no legal remedy could be applied to recover damages, and several farmers who purchased the guano on the strength of my analysis, were grossly deceived. I would, therefore, strongly urge upon agriculturists on no account to purchase guano which is offered for sale by auction. Besides adulterated Peruvian guanos, artificial mixtures, resembling in appearance guano, were brought under my notice last season, professing to be peculiar kinds of phosphatic guanos. Such mixtures generally contain a little real guano, and the bulk consists of earthy matters of little or no fertilising value. These manures do not profess to be Peruvian guano, but to come from some island or the other, the existence of which often occurs only on paper; and as these guanos are always sold at a low figure they find purchasers, although no guarantee as regards composition is given. In all cases in which guano is sold without an analysis, the purchaser runs the risk of being imposed upon.

Compound artificial manures which are offered for sale at a low price, varying from 37. to 57. a ton, in most cases are not worth one-half or one-third the money which is asked for them; and in some instances brought under my notice during the past season the manures sent to me for analysis were not worth the carriage to a distance of 10 miles.

Particular caution ought to be used by intending purchasers in cases in which artificial manures are offered for sale at a low figure under the names of British guano, blood or fish manure, or a similar enticing name. Frequently such have nothing in common with guano, or with fish, or blood, except the name.

In illustration of these remarks I may give the analysis of a sample of Pound's British guano, which was sent to me last spring by a member of the Society :

This so-called British guano, it will be seen, yielded only 13 per cent. of ammonia, and contained no phosphate of lime whatever, nor any akaline salts. On the other hand, it contained a good deal of water and a high percentage of gypsum. In point of fact, the sample of Pound's British guano analysed by me was nothing else but a mixture of gypsum and some rather strongsmelling organic refuse matter. It was sold at 51. 5s. a ton, but is scarcely worth more than 30s. a ton.

It is to be greatly feared that with the near approach of the time when the supplies of best Peruvian guano from the Chincha Islands will be finally stopped, inferior descriptions of guano will find their way into the wholesale guano trade, and be eagerly bought up for the purpose of mixing with best Peruvian guano.

I have recently analysed two samples of guano from the Guanape Islands, and find that both, representing large cargoes recently imported into England, were much inferior to Chincha Island guano, as will be seen by the subjoined analysis :

These samples, especially the second, were much damper than best Peruvian guano, and much poorer in ammonia. No. 2, indeed, only contained about half the amount of ammonia which occurs in best Chincha Island guano. The preceding analyses, moreover, show evidently that the guano from the new guano islands (Guanape Islands) is not uniform in character. If these samples fairly represent the general character of the Guanape