CHEMISTRY. 465 



samples as caustic soda, th;it the method adopted by the association 

 gives practically the theoretical ainouiits of iimuioiiia in materials 

 containing' from 9.5 to 1(>.8 per cent of soluble phosj)horic acid, and 

 that the amount of magnesium oxid recommended is fully sufrtcieut to 

 set free all the ammonia in pure ammonium salts. With triammonium 

 i:)hosphate and ammonium chlorid the two niethods of distillation 

 gave identical results. The presence of carbonate in the magnesia 

 used was found to lower the percentage of ammonia. The method of 

 distillation with the magnesia, was not i^assed to its second reading at 

 this meeting, because it had not been studied by the analytical com- 

 mittee of the German Fertilizer Manufacturers' TTnion. At a meeting 

 of the section on fertilizers at Eisenach, April 15, 1896, it was decided 

 to retain the method of determining ammonia by distillation with mag- 

 nesia. In case of mixed fertilizers ammoniacal nitrogen is to be deter- 

 mined by distillation with magnesia of a solution obtained by shaking 

 up 20 gm. of material with water for one-half hour. 



An elaborate report on the fertilizing value of limestone containing 

 magnesia was submitted by (). Kellner. He reported results of inves- 

 tigations that go to show that the magnesia of gray lime is as readily 

 taken up by ordinary solvents as the lime, and that while the lime acts 

 partly in the form of bicarbonate and partly in the form of quicklime 

 the magnesia acts mainly in the form of soluble bicarbonate. It is 

 stated further that soils that are delicient in lime and are benefited by 

 its application are generally deficient in magnesia also, and that mag- 

 nesia acts like lime in combining with humus substances, thus neutral- 

 izing the acid of the soil, promoting the decomposition of organic 

 matter, and favoring nitrification. Like lime, it is also active in break- 

 ing down the silicates and setting free a certain amount of potash, in 

 delaying the reversion of phosphoric acid in the soil, and in improving 

 the texture of the soil. The poisonous effect of magnesia which has 

 been frequently observed is claimed to be exerted only when the sub- 

 stance is used in large quantities unaccompanied by lime. The motion 

 of Kellner that in determining the value of limestone magnesia must 

 be taken into account was adopted. 



Reports on the determination of fat and sugar in molasses fodder 

 were submitted by C. Midler. After some discussion this subject was 

 referred back to the section on feeding stuft's for further investigation. 



A report on the determination of ergot in feeding stuffs was sub- 

 mitted by Ulbricht. He showed that the i)resence of roh/f/onum con- 

 volrulus in a feeding stuff destroys the reliability of the Hoffmann 

 method and he describes a method of preparing samples for microscop- 

 ical examination. 



A report on the testing of feeding stuffs for sand was submitted by 

 Emmerling. The section on feeding stuffs was instructed to collect the 

 individual determinations which have heretofore been made of sand in 

 feeding stuffs and to tabulate them on a uniform basis. 



