REPORT OP THE CHEMIST 



183 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



COMMERCIAL BLUESTONE. 



The fact that there was a larger proportion of smutty grain in Manitoba and 

 Saskatchewan in 1905 than for several years previous aroused a suspicion in the minds 

 of many regarding the quality of the bluestone (sulphate of copper) used in treating 

 the wheat. To ascertain what foundation there might be for this suspicion we con- 

 sidered it desirable to procure samples from farmers and dealers at various points in 

 the Northwest, and submit them to analysis. This was done during the early months 

 of 1906, the samples examined numbering about thirty. 



Analysis op Commercial Bluestones* — 190G. 



Designation. 



Pure coppor sulphate . . . . 



Pure iron sulphate 



jSIaniioba — 

 C Bros., Lenora 



"W.H.M., Gilbert Plains 



J. A., TurnbuU 



A. McP., Dauphin. . . 

 A.B. & Co., Swan River 

 S. &S., Dauphin.... 

 S. C, II .... 



M. Co., Swan River. 



J. O., Russell 



A. H., Hartnoy.. ...... 



E. A. M., Mackenzie .. 

 T. M. H., Fo-xwarren . . 



Oxide of 

 Copper. 



(CuO.) 



31 88 



31-40 

 31 02 

 30-64 

 30-88 

 i50-70 

 31 14 

 30-98 

 30-42 

 31-78 

 30 94 

 32 -.-'8 

 31-36 

 30-24 

 30 -12 

 30-20 



Oxide of 

 Iron. 



(Fe^O,) 



28-74 



-80 

 •86 

 •72 

 •7G 

 •94 

 -74 

 70 

 •66 

 -50 

 -98 

 •78 

 -64 

 •76 

 •80 

 •68 



Designation. 



Manitoba— Con. .• 



McG. Bros., Mackenzie 



J. A., Roblin 



M. G. T., Highbluff. 



T. W. M., Portage la 

 Prairie 



J. O. C, 



H. L., Fox warren 



M. B. J., Hamiota. . . 

 Saskatchewan — 



, Wapella 



A. M., Indian Head . 



D. & 15., Langenburg 



E. S., Fleming 



J. B., II 



L. L. D., Leofield . . . 



Ontario — 

 W. T. M. Ottawa.... 



Oxide of 

 Copper. 



(CuO.) 



30^56 

 29 66 

 30-38 



30-60 

 31-78 

 31 08 

 31-46 



Oxide of 

 Iron. 



(Fo^O,) 



30-72 

 30-94 

 31-24 

 31-72 



2964 



©•80 

 110 

 90 



0-76 

 078 

 ()r>2 

 0-74 



0-85 

 0-93 

 0-72 

 0.30 

 0-36 

 0-36 



0-36 



■* The copper and iron present were determined and are returned as oxides ; for the calculation of th« 

 results to sulphates it is only necessary to add that 31 88 per cent copper oxide corresponds to 100 per cen 

 pure sulphate of copper and 28 74 per cent oxide of iron to 100 per cent sulphate of iron. 



These data did not, in my opinion, reveal the presence of any adulteration, and all 

 the samples were reported as commercial bluestone of the usual quality or grade. 



This finding does not, of course, mean that these samples were chemically pure 

 sulphate of copper; commercial bluestone invariably contains a small percentage of 

 sulphate of iron and other impurities and the samples under examination proved no 

 exception to the rule. The amount of sulphate of iron obtained varied from 1-04 

 per cent to 3-82 per cent, which percentages, as we have intimated, are not greater 

 than those which have always been found in the ordinary bluestone upon the market.,^ 



Some years ago (1890) there was offered for sale in the Northwest a so-called 

 ' Agricultural Bluestone,' which on analysis proved to contain a very large proportion 

 of svilphate of iron — from 30 to 60 per cent. Experiments undertaken by us with this 

 material — which differs from ordinary bluestone by the crystals being of a light 

 greenish-blue colour — showed conclusively that it was much less effective in smut 

 prevention than bluestone. Further investigation made it clear that sulphate of iron 

 was practically valueless for smut destruction and consequently that its presence in 

 any large proportion would considerably reduce the beneficial action of the bluestone. 

 The amount in the ordinary commercial bluestone, however, in the writer's opinion, 

 is not large enough to materially lower the value of the bluestone for the treatment 

 of wheat. It m.ay be added that no sample of ' Agricultural Bluestone ' has been 

 received at the Experimental Farm laboratory for a number of years, so that we may 

 suppose this spurious article is not now for sale in the Northwest. 



