SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 



227 



tit'S of the outiJiit of the ditt'ereut salts uud of the cost and profits of production 

 of different mines are given. 



The output and value of the different salts during 1908 are sliown in the 

 following table: 



Outjjut and value of iieinnan ijolasli salts, l'M)8. 



Description. 



Output. 



Value. 



Average 

 value per ton. 



Kainit 



Other potash salts 



Muriate of potash a 



Sulphate of potash 



Sulphate of potash-magnesia. 



Total 



Metric ions. 



2, 589, 804 



3, 500, 635 



508, 622 



55, 755 



33, 149 



«8, 812, 426 

 8,064,630 



13, 387, 738 



2, 037, 994 



663,068 



6,687,965 , 32,965,856 



$3.40 

 2.30 

 26. 32 

 36.55 

 20.00 



a Including 117,390 tons of manure salts, worth $1,843,786. 



The use of potash in German agriculture in 1908, P. Kkisciie (Ennihr. 

 I'/lnnze, 5 (1909), Nos. 20, yp. IGJ-KS',, ihjm. 1; 21, pp. /7.i-/7,S').— A detailed 

 analysis is given of statistics of consumption in the different provinces of the 

 German Empire during the year. It is stated that during 1908, 300,288.23 tons 

 of potash salts were used. 



Different forms of phosphoric acid in commercial phosphatic fertilizers, 

 J. Kavkntos (Rev. Inst. Agr. Cataldn San Isidro, 58 (1909), Nos. 16, pp. 2Jf5- 

 2J,9; 17, pp. 263-265; 19, pp. 298-300; 21, pp. 332-335).— A rather complete 

 sunmiarj' of the information on this subject is given. 



Drying of superphosphates, L. Pikkkon {Rev. Chim. Indus.. 19, pp. 328-332; 

 20, pp. 15-27; abs. in Chem. Abs., 3 {1909), No. 21, p. 2605).— 0\d and modern 

 methods are described and the conditions necessary to success are explained. 



The world's production of mineral superphosphate in 1908, MAizifiEES 

 {Engrais, 2Jt {1909), \g. J,5, pp. 12Ji5, 12J,6). — The total production is given as 

 !i.(X)0.000 metric tons, requiring for its manufacture .^),000.00() tons of mineral 

 jihosphate. The largest producers were the United States 2,.'{49.000 tons, 

 France 1.008,000 tons, (iermany 1..')S(;.000 tons, and Italy 1.080,000 tons. 



The phosphate deposits of the United States, F. B. A^an Horn ( f7. S. Geol. 

 Survey Bui. S9.'i, pp. 157-171). — The various phosphate deposits in the United 

 States are described and statistics of their production and exportation are given. 

 Special emphasis is laid upon the importance of conserving the phosphate re- 

 sources of the United States. 



Production of phosphate rock in Florida, E. H. Sellards {Proc. Fla. State 

 Hort. Soe., 22 {1909), pp. 13S- 1. ', 1 ) .—Th\i> is a brief statement regarding the de- 

 velopment and present status of phosphate mining in Florida. Attention is 

 called to the large loss of floats in ordinary methods of milling and to the 

 importance of finding means of preventing such wastes. 



" Humifera " as a fertilizer, E. De Cillis {1st. Agr. Siciliano " Valdisavoja " 

 Relaz. 1906-1908, pp. 131-141).— This is a fertilizing material made from refuse 

 olive skins. 



Analysis showed ash 12.69, water 12.61, organfc nitrogen 1.65, phosphoric acid 

 0.43, and potash 1.61 per cent. The ash analysis gave phosphoric acid 3.39, 

 potash 12.79, various salts, carbon dioxid, etc., 22.4, and insoluble matter 61.42 

 per cent. 



From the experiments reported the general conclusion is drawn that " humi- 

 fera " is a good organic fertilizer and of value in regions where stable manure 



