62 THE CONNECTICUT AGEICULTUEAL 



whole mass was wet. As soon as this was done, the acid was 

 poured on in the same way. The mass became at once very hot, 

 the carbonate of lime, which is always present, was decomposed, 

 and the escape of steam and carbonic acid was attended with 

 much frothing. This must be provided for by making the vat of 

 sufficient size. The materials were worked over and thoroughly 

 mixed with the hoe until the steaming and frothing had about 

 ceased. The mixture then had the consistence of mortar, but 

 within twenty-four hours dried to a crumbly state, and could be 

 pulverized for spreading on the land. In this instance it was 

 mixed with dried blood, which was bought for |35 a ton, and fur- 

 nished nitrogen at 19 cents a pound. At the end of twenty-four 

 hours samples from different batches of the phosphate were anal- 

 yzed at the Station, The lowest percentage of soluble phosphoric 

 acid found was 11 per cent., the highest 14.2 per cent,, and the 

 average 12,9 per cent. It is believed that the solvent action of 

 the oil of vitriol was not then complete, and that tests made later 

 would have shown a larger percentage of soluble phosphoric acid. 

 The cost of the process was as follows : 



2,000 lbs., bone char, $8.00 



1,200 lbs. oil of vitriol, 18.00 



Labor, 4.00 



$30.00 



Unfortunately no weigliing was made of the superphosphate. 

 Of course it could not have been less than 3,200 lbs., the weight 

 of acid, and bone, and must have been considerably more, since 

 the sulphate of lime that is formed retains a large quantity of 

 water. But calling its weight 3,200 lbs. and its content of solu- 

 ble phosphoric acid the lowest found, 11 per cent,, we have as a 

 result 352 pounds of soluble phosphoric acid, costing $30, equiva- 

 lent to $8.52 per 100 lbs,, or over |2 per hundred less than the 

 average cost in the retail market during the last year. 



Peat or Swamp Muck, 



714. Peat from East Haven Peat Swamp, sent by Henry E. 

 Pardee, New Haven. Surface sample containing roots. 



715. Peat from East Haven Peat Swamp, sent by Henry E. 

 Pardee.' Sample from beneath 714, free from roots, 



745. Muck sent by Philip T. Yibert, Meriden, Ct, 



