750 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



lizeis, iiitiatc of Koda, dried y)lood, dried and ground fish, tankage, superphosphates, 

 muriate of j)otash, sulphate of potash, kainit, limekiln ashes, wood ashes, prepared 

 lime, })repare(l lime and potash, oyster-shell lime, Vjlue lime, tanner.v refuse, garbage 

 ashes, oil-cake waste, wool waste, soot, bone residue, tobacco stems, and bat guano. 

 About 31 per cent of the brands of fertilizers examined were deficient in one or more 

 of the different forms of plant food. The averages for all brands of complete ferti- 

 lizers examined during 1902 are as follows: Total nitrogen, 2.3S per cent; total jihos- 

 phoric acid, 10.47 per cent; available phosphoric acid, 8.09 per cent; insoluble 

 phosphoric acid, 2.38 per cent; potash, 5.32 per cent; station valuation, $21.32; sell- 

 ing price, $27.66. It appears "that the manufacturers are delivering, on the aver- 

 age, somewhat less total plant food than in 1901, at a slight advance per ton." 



Analyses of comniercial fertilizers, J. Hamilton and W. Fkear {Pennsylvania 

 Dept. Ayr. Bid. 101, pp. 137). — A report on inspection of fertilizers in Pennsylvania 

 during the six months ended July 31, 1902, including analyses of 450 samples with a 

 discussion of the results and notes on valuation of fertilizers in 1902. 



Conim.ercial fertilizers, H. J. Wheeler et al. {Rhode Idand Sht. Bid. S9, ]q>. 

 53-66). — This bulletin contains analyses of a portion of the fertilizers collected dur- 

 ing 1902. The fertilizers examined during this year showed a very marked improve- 

 ment over last year. 



Analysis of commercial fertilizers {South Carolina Sla. Bui. 73, pp. 14)- — This 

 iKilletin reports analyses and valuations of 175 samples of fertilizers collected during 

 the season of 1901-2. 



Should manure be plowed under as soon as it is carried to the fi^eld? T. 

 Kemy {Dent. Landiv. Fresse, 30 {1003), No. 5, pjp. 31, 32). — Experiments with i)otatoes 

 are reported which show that the best results, both as regards yield and starch con- 

 tent, were obtained when the manure was incorporated with the soil at once as com- 

 pared with composting or allowing the manure to lie on the soil some time before 

 being plowed under. 



Comparative value of different phosphates, C. A. Mooers ( Univ. Tennessee 

 Record, 6 {1903), No. 1, pp. 20-24, figs. 4)- — This article discusses sources and nature 

 of different phosphates and their relative value as fertilizers; reviews liriefly previ- 

 ous experiments Avith phosphates; and gives results of pot tests at the Tennessee 

 Station of superphosphates, precijjitated i)hosphate, bone meal, and ground rock on 

 cowpeas and turnips. The results with l)oth crops showed no apprecial)le benefit 

 from applications of from 300 to 1,200 lbs. of ground rock per acre. "On the other 

 hand, 300 lbs. of high-grade ai-id phosphate gave a marked increase in the yield 

 above any of the other plats." Finely ground bone meal gave excellent results. 

 " For cowpeas 2 lbs. of phosphoric acid from the meal was found to be about equal 

 to 1 lb. from acid phosphate. The turnips, however, seemed somewhat less able 

 than the peas to use the phosphoric acid of the meal. Precii)itated phosphate gave 

 much better results than bone meal, and as would l)e expected the water-soluble 

 phosphate of lime gave excellent returns, l)ut whether the best, considering the 

 quantity used, can not now be told." 



What is the value of the water-insoluble phosphoric acid of double super- 

 phosphates? B. SciUTLZE [Deut. Landw. Presse, 30 {1903), No. 2, pp. 12, i.j).— Pot 

 experiments with oats are reported in which phosphoric acid was applied, with and 

 without the addition of lime, as superphosphate and in form of the residue from 

 extraction of the water-soluble phosphoric acid from double superphosphate. The 

 author concludes that the phosphoric acid of double superphosphate insoluble in 

 water has usually one-third the fertilizing value of water-soluble phosphoric acid, 

 which may be increased to one-half with cereals under favorable conditions and in 

 case of phosphoric-acid hunger. 



Phosphate rock, J. Struthers {Mineral Resources of the United States. Dipt. Inte- 

 rior, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1901, pp. 811-822).— ^i&iisiKS of production in the United 



