FERTILIZERS. 



739 



The latter checks fermentation and reduces loss of nitrogen tty favor- 

 ing the conversion of ammonia not only into organic combinations but 

 into nitrates, an appreciable amount of which is found in manure treated 

 with lime. Calcium and sodium carbonates acted like caustic lime, but 

 were not so effective. 



It is claimed that the principle of preservation should be to conserve 

 the organic and ammoniacal nitrogen as such, or by the use of pre- 

 servatives to transform these forms of nitrogen into nitrates under con- 

 ditions unfavorable to the activity of denitrifying bacteria. It is also 

 stated that analysis will not decide the relative merits of different 

 methods of preservation, but that vegetation experiments are necessary 

 for this purpose. 



Commercial fertilizers and chemicals, R. T. Nesbttt and G. F. 

 Payne (Georgia Bept. Agr. Bid. 33, pp. 116). — This is a report of the 

 fertilizer inspection in Georgia for the year ending June 30, 1897, and 

 includes texts of the various State laws relating to fertilizers, with regu- 

 lations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with them; notes on 

 valuation; a compilation of analyses of ordinary fertilizing materials; 

 statistics of the consumption of fertilizers in the United States in 1896; 

 suggestions regarding the functions of fertilizers and the profitableness 

 of their use; replies to correspondence relating to various fertilizer 

 questions; notes on the percentage of nitrogen in sea island and upland 

 cotton-seed meal, and tabulated analyses of 1,051 samples of fertilizing 

 materials, including mixed fertilizers, cotton-seed meal, potash salts, 

 phosphates, and other unmixed materials. The amount of fertilizers 

 inspected during the season was 101,979.1 tons, as compared with 

 335,617.8 tons in the season of 1895- 7 96. The average composition of the 

 fertilizers analyzed was: Available phosphoric acid 10.87 per cent, 

 ammonia 2.25 per cent, and potash 2.21 per cent. 



The followiug data of the consumption of fertilizers in the United 

 States in 1896 were obtained by correspondence with the various State 

 authorities : 



Consumption of commercial fertilizers in the United States in 1896. 



State aud Territory. 



Georgia 



South Carolina. 

 North Carolina 



Virginia 



New York 



Pennsylvania . . 



Alabama 



Indiana 



Ohio 



West Virginia . 



Mississippi 



Florida 



State and Territory. 



Connecticut 



Kentucky 



Tennessee 



Vermont 



Louisiana 



Utah (estimated) 



Missouri 



Wisconsin 



Oregon 



Arizona 



Tons. 



20, 000 



19, 550 



19, 445 



13, 000 



10, 051 



5, 530 



2,000 



200 



60 



50 



Total 1,575,642 



Fertilizer inspection, C. D. Woods and J. M. Bartlett (Maine 

 Sta. Bui. 38, pp. 32). — This bulletin gives a summary of the provisions 

 of the State fertilizer law, a list of manufacturers complying with the 



