115 



If we assign the following values — 



Per lb. 



Phosphoric acid 6 cents. 



Potash 4^ do 



Xitrogeii 8 do 



the value of one ton of this wool waste is, $5.55. 



This " wool waste," evidently, is chiefly valuable for the potash and niti'Ogen it 

 contains. The foi-mer ingredient may be at once used by plants, but the latter 

 (nitrogen) is not piesent in a form that can be directly taken up by vegetable 

 growth. It is, however, rendered assimilable in the ground, or, still better, by com- 

 posting. If the " waste " is applied at once to the soil its value will not be i-eceived 

 for some time, and consequently the best period for such application would be before 

 the autumn ploughing. If, however, it were first thoroughly composted and rotted 

 with barn-yard manure or wood ashes its action in the soil would be more 

 immediate. The extra woik entailed by this treatment would in most instances be 

 amply lepaid. 



" Wool wastes " are very apt to vary in their composition ; hence, from this 

 single analysis it would be impossible to state the value of such in general. That 

 we have in ail of them, however, much fertilizing material, there can be no doubt, 

 and their judicious use must be attended with profit. 



LAMB'S QUARTEE (Chenopodium Album). 



The probable value of this weed, as a cattle food, in places where it is 

 abundant, is discussed in this report in the chapter on fodders, in the analysis there 

 given the ash is stated as 17"Y4: per cent, of the dry matter. To ascertain to what 

 extent the land was exhausted of its mineral ingredients by this plant, its ash hns 

 been analysed. The results obtained are here stated : — 



Percentage Composition of Ash. 



Per cent . 



Insoluble residue '55 



Soluble silica -17 



Alumina, with traces of oxide of iron 8'40 



Lime 7*52 



Magnesia 4'34 



Potash 43-28 



Phosphoric acid 4" 1 6 



t ■-' ■ - ■ ■ i 



The percentage of ash and essential fertilizing constituents in the original sub- 

 stance, before drying, are as follows: — 



Per cent 



Ash 3-27 



Phosphoi'ic acid '14 



Potash 1-41 



Nitrogen -45 



If we assign the following values — 



Per lb. 



Phosphoric acid 5 cents. 



Potash 4^ do 



Kitrogen 15 do 



the value per ton of 2,000 lbs. in its green state as a manure is $2.74. 



The ash of this plant is seen to consist lai-gely (nearly 50 per cent.) of potash, 

 and consequently this weed must be considred as one that would readily exhaust the 

 soil of this valuable element of plant food. If the crop is not used as a fodder the 

 plan of ploughing it under should be resorted to, in order that this potash — together 

 with the oihci' constituents — be returned to the soil. 



