SOILS FERTILIZERS. 623 



mannrinl value of lecithin was not lower than that of sodium phosithate, that of 

 phytin was nearly equivalent to that of ferric or aluminum phosphate, and that 

 of nuclein was very low. 



"The most essential phosphoric compound in vegetable manures is phytin. 

 As phytin is easily transformed in soils into insoluble ferric and aluminum 

 phosphate it is recommendable to use vegetable manures in a putrefied state to 

 render the phosphoric acid available. 



" lu the analysis of manures, it is absolutely necessary to pay attention to the 

 different organic phosphoric compounds." 



On the different forms of phosphoric acid in organic manures, S. Tsuda 

 {Jour. Col. A(jr. Imp. Unir. Tokyo, I {IdO'J), No. 2, pp. i6'?-i70).— Studies of 

 the forms of phosphoric acid in soy-bean cake, rape-seed cake, red-clover hay, 

 herring guano, steamed bone dust, pressed cake of silkworm pupa?, and crab 

 shells are reported. 



In the animal manures the phosphoric acid was mostly in inorganic form 

 (tricalcium phosphate), in the vegetable manures mainly in organic form. " In 

 vegetable manures, phosi)horic acid is present principally in the form of phytin 

 and the amount of nuclein is comi)aratively small. Lecithin is also contained in 

 small quantities, the phosphoric acid in this form being always less than 10 per 

 cent of the whole. Again, as inorganic compounds phosphoric acid is present 

 only in traces in certain cases." 



On the availability of phosphoric acid in various forms in herring guano, 

 R. MiTSUTA {Jour. Col. Agr. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 1 {1909), No. 2, pp. 16.3-165, pi. 

 1). — Herring guano, which had been extracted with various solvents to remove 

 oil, lecithin, phytin. and the phosphates soluble in water and dilute acids, was 

 tested in pot experiments with barley. The results indicate " that the principal 

 part of phosphoric acid serving as phosphatic manure in fish guanos is of 

 inorganic nature, chiefly consisting of calcium phosphate. Lecithin and phos- 

 phates soluble in water exert here also a certain role. . . . Nuclein in herring 

 guano has no immediate manurial value as generally assumed." 



Secondary calcium phosphate as a manure, T. Takeuchi {Jour. Col. Ayr. 

 Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 1 [1909), No. 2, pp. 203-206). — Sand cultures with rice are 

 reported which indicate " that a great excess of carbonates of lime and mag- 

 nesia can depress the absorption of phosphoric acid from secondary calcium 

 I»hosphate so much that the formation of ears (with rice) becomes impossi- 

 ble. . . Under certain conditions (probably when no or but little carbonates 

 are present in soils) the secondary calcium phosphate is an excellent phos- 

 phatic manure, as Prianishnikov [E. S. R., 13, p. 934] has shown." 



Phosphates in Germany, R. P. Skinner {Daily Cons, and Trade Rpts. 

 [U. &.], 1909, No. 3591, pp. 1, 2; Mo. Conn, and Trade Rpts. [U. S.], 1909. No. 

 3-'/9. pp. 183. 18.'i). — A brief account is given of the general principles underlying 

 the methods of manufacture of superphosphates, and a machine for use in the 

 reduction of mineral phosi)hates with sulphuric acid is describetl. 



The superphosphate industry in Italy. A. Menozzi and G. Gianoli {Ric. 

 Lah. Cftim. Agr. R. Hcuola 8up. Ayr. Milano, 3 {1908), pp. 87-95).— This is a 

 brief sketch of the rise and development of the manufacture and use of super- 

 phosphates in Italy. The first factory was opened in 1S67, but owing to the 

 lack of agricultural information the product had to be sold in Marseilles. In 

 IOCS? there were 82 factories with a total annual production of n.S.'i.OOO tons. 

 The price of the phosphoric acid of the superphosphates decreased greatly in the 

 10 years preceding 1906; in that year it avcraued about 3 cts. i)er pound. 



13042—09 3 



