380 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



When, however, we come to compare the productive effects of 

 lime nitrogen thoroughly worked into the soil with those of nitrate 

 of soda and sulfate of ammonia, we find, amid considerable variabil- 

 ity of result, a general tendency of the lime nitrogen toward equal- 

 ity with nitrate of soda and superiority over sulfate of ammonia. 

 In many cases indeed, experiments have shov»'u higher yields from 

 lime nitrogen than from the nitrate, where the former was thor- 

 oughly incorporated with the soil sometime prior to seeding, and 

 the nitrate was emfdoyed in such a manner as to secure its best re- 

 sults; namely, in part as a preliminary application to soil and a part 

 in subsequent top dressings. 



It is possible that this material may, instead of being offered upon 

 the market for direct consumption by farmers, fruit growers and 

 others, be introduced as a comijonont of mixed fertilizfrs. In this 

 relation, it will probably not be used to supply all of the nitrogen, 

 but like the nitrate and th*^ sulfate, to form a mixture with other 

 materials that will afford to the plant at its different stages of 

 growth a considerable variety of nitrogen supply. It is of interest not 

 only to the manufacturer but also to the consumer of mixed goods 

 in which lime nitrogen has been used, to know what effect this in- 

 gredient has had u})on the other ingredients of the mixture and also 

 to know how lime nitrogen itself is likely to the affected by them. 



Experiments by Dr. Glaser of Baltimore, show that when small 

 quantities of lime nitrogen, SMch as would be likely to be employed 

 when this material v/ns chosen to supply only a fraction of the nitro- 

 gen of the entire mixture, were thoroughly mixed with acid phos- 

 phate, considerable heat was involved, the mixture became very dry, 

 and yet the amount of soluble phosphoric acid was unchanged pro- 

 viding the acid phosphate contained, prior to the mixture, a con- 

 siderable amount of free phosphoric acid. If, however, large quan- 

 tities of lime nitrogen wT-re mixed with acid phosphate, soluble 

 phosphoric acid was largely reverted, but doubtless to a form still 

 available. If, on standing, be lime nitrogen should give off am- 

 monia, the latter could scarcely escape from an acid fertilizer mix- 

 ture, but would doubtless be held as ammonium phosphate. If 

 the acid of the phosphate should liberate cyanamid. it would prob- 

 ably not be inferior in fertilizing value and would not be likely to 

 escape in a volatile form from the fertilizer heap or package. 



REPOET GF THE MINERALOGIST. 



By PROF. BAIRD HALBERSTADT. F. G. S-, Po Pa. 



While the reports of the Consulting Specialists are expected to 

 be of a strictly technical nature, a departure from this rule is per- 

 missible, if the departure be not too wide and especially so, if it 

 will prevent, even to a slight degree, the senseless waste of money 

 expended annually in prospecting for minerals in localities where 

 none exist in paying quantities, if at all. A professional experience 

 of upwards of twenty-five years in governmental and private capao- 



