124 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



It was found that in manure in which a moisture content of about 43 per 

 cent was maintained, and which was kept in closed flasks at a temperature of 

 35 to 37° C. for 2 months and subjected to the action of a current of air, the 

 loss of dry matter where toluol was added was 23.76 per cent, while where no 

 antiseptic was added it was 45.2 per cent. The pentosans decomposed more 

 rapidly than crude fiber, particularly in the absence of an antiseptic. When 

 toluol was added and molds were absent the crude fiber was very slightly 

 decomposed, but there was considerable decomposition of the pentosans. There 

 was considerable loss of nitrogen in the presence of toluol. A reduction in the 

 amount of phosphoric acid in the form of inorganic phosphates was noted, par- 

 ticularly in untreated manure, and a leaching out of the phosphoric acid of 

 phytin in manure treated with toluol. The proportion of insoluble phosphoric 

 acid largely increased in untreated manures. 



This experiment was repeated with other samples of manure with similar 

 results. In the pot experiments with oats a relation between the assimila- 

 bility of the phosphoric acid of the organic fertilizer and the proportion of 

 crude fiber and pentosans was observed. The conversion of easily soluble 

 phosphoric acid into insoluble phosphoric acid during the decomposition of the 

 manure apparently did not reduce the assimilability of phosphoric acid. Leci- 

 thin and phytin were apparently more effective as sources of phosphoric acid 

 for oats on chernozem than on podzol soils, while manure was more effective on 

 liodzol soils. 



The manufacture of chemical manures, J. Fritsch (London, 1911, pp. 

 XV I +339, figs. G9).— This work originally appeared in French in 1909 (E. S. R., 

 22, p. 430). It is here translated into English by Donald Grant, who, from his 

 " long experience as works manager and chemist in the sulphuric acid and 

 chemical manure trade," has been able to add numerous original practical notes. 

 The technical material has been drawn largely from German and (to a less 

 extent in this edition) from English sources. 



The subjects of the different chapters of the book are phosphoric acid; prin- 

 cipal phosphate deposits; drying and enrichment of phosphates; historical 

 review of superphosphate manufacture ; theory of manufacture of soluble phos- 

 phates ; manufacture of superphosphate ; crushing, sifting, drying, and storing 

 of superphosphate — retrogradation ; compound manures ; the manufacture of 

 phosphoric acid, double superphosphates, and various products; the manu- 

 facture of phosphorus in the electric furnace ; manufacture of bone dust and 

 of bone superphosphate (vitriolized bones) ; manufacture of basic slag; nitrog- 

 enous manures ; manufacture of manure from animal waste ; recovery of 

 nitrogen from distillery spent wash, and manufacture of cyanamid and of 

 nitrate of lime; nitrogenized phosphatic manures; potassic manures; and trans- 

 ference and handling of raw materials and finished products. 



The availability of nitrogenous materials as measured by ammonification, 

 J. G. LiPMAN, P. E. Brown, and I. L. Owen (Centhl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Abt., 31 

 (1911), No. 1-4, pp. Ji9-t>6). — This article reports studies of the rate of ammoni- 

 fication as a means of studying the availability of dried blood, tankage, ground 

 fish, cotton-seed meal, and various other substances of vegetable origin, such as 

 corn meal, rice flour, wheat, rye, linseed meal, cowpea meal, and soy-bean meal. 

 The method used was as follows: 



"A large quantity of air-dry, silt loam soil was sifted and thoroughly mixed 

 so as to furnish a uniform medium for bacterial growth. One hundred gram 

 quantities of this soil were placed in tumblers, the nitrogenous material was 

 added and carefully mixed with the soil, and the latter was then moistened 

 with a quantity of water, or fresh soil infusion, sufficient to establish optimum 

 moisture conditions. The tumblers were covered with Petri dish covers and 



