FERTILIZERS. 



35 



Swine urine, yield and composition. — The urine of .">0 pigs was saved 

 during 3 eonsecutive days in March and July, 1S95. The main results 

 of weighings and partial analyses are given in the following table: 



Yield and composition of swine urine. 



Dates of observation. 



March G-8 



July 29-31 



Averages 



Average data for 

 pigs. 



Weight 



per head. 



Months. Pounds. 



7 145 



8 228 



Amount 



of urine 



during 3 



daj s. 



Pounds. 



357.5 

 1,339.3 



848.4 



Nitrogen 



in urine. 



Calculated yields 

 per j ear. 



Urine. Nitrogen. 



Per cent. 



0.300 

 .210 



Pounds. 

 1,450 

 5,432 



Pounds. 



5.21 

 11.41 



3,441 



The average specific gravity of the urine was 1.017; the urine col- 

 lected during March contained 0.360 per cent of nitrogen, 0.077 per 

 cent of phosphoric acid, and 0.256 per cent of potash. Only nitrogen 

 determinations were made in the samples collected during the summer 

 months. — F. w. avoll. 



Are the chemical substances used in sterilizing human excre- 

 ment injurious to agricultural plants and to the beneficial organ- 

 isms of the soil? H. Peterman (Jour. Agr. Prat., 61 ( 1897), I. Wos. 15, 

 pp. 531-525, fig. J; 16, pp. 558-561, fig. 1). — A detailed account is given of 

 the results of experiments which show that mixtures of solid and liquid 

 human excrement were completely sterilized by treatment with snl 

 phuric acid, phosphoric acid, aqueous extract of superphosphate, cop 

 per sulphate, zinc sulphate, zinc chlorid, and lysol at rates of from 1 

 to 1£ per cent. When such sterilized manure was used at the rate of 

 from 9 to 11 tons per acre, the germination of flax, colza, oats, Avheat, 

 corn, beets, and clover was not interfered with and neither the quantity 

 nor quality of the potatoes and corn was injuriously affected. The 

 treated manure did not arrest the action of the nitrifying organisms 

 nor those living in symbiosis in the tubercles of the lupine. The amount 

 of nitric nitrogen produced in soils treated with the sterilized manure 

 was as large as that to which unsterilized manure was applied and 

 lupines grown in the different soils were abundantly supplied with root 

 tubercles. In the author's opiuion, the four most economical preserva- 

 tives are copper sulphate, zinc sulphate, zinc chlorid, and phosphoric 

 acid. Of these phosphoric acid seems preferable on account of its 

 effectiveness combined with its cheapness. 



Commercial fertilizers, H. A. Huston (Purdue University Special 

 Bui., May, 1897, pp. 8). — Analyses and valuations of 350 samples of 

 fertilizing materials are reported, accompanied by notes on the extent 

 of the fertilizer trade in Indiana, quality of the fertilizers sold, ami 

 on valuation. 



"The estimated sales of commercial fertilizers in Indiana during 1896 amounted to 

 42,000 tons. This is an apparent decrease of 3,000 tons from the estimated sales in 

 1895. The decrease is, I believe, only apparent, for it now seems probable that the 



