FERTILIZERS. 



629 



ing table gives the yield per pot in green mustard, dry matter, and 

 nitrogen : 



Yield of mustard in 2>ots feriiUzed with different forms of nitrogen. 



Minerals, no nitioseu 



Green alfalfa 



Stable nianuie 



Sulpliate of amnuinia and minerals 



Nitrogen. 



Grams. 

 3. ao4 

 4.510 

 5. 277 

 5.362 



Comiiariug tlie amount of green mustard produced on the nitrogen 

 pots with that on the pots receiving no nitrogen, there is found an 

 increaseof 403.5 gm. for sulphate of ammonia, 442 gm. for stable manure, 

 and 340 gm. for green manure. This is equivalent to saying that the 

 nitrogen of stable manure was 95 per cent and that of young alfalfa 73 

 per cent as effective as that of sulphate of ammonia. 



Comparing the amount of nitrogen in the mustard growing on the 

 nitrogen pots with that on the i)ots receiving no nitrogen, we lind an 

 excess of 2.058 gni.for sulphate of ammonia, 1.973 gm. for stable manure, 

 and 1.215 gm. for green manure. 



Comparing tliis excess with tlie amount of nitrogen applied (4.11G8 

 gm. to each pot) it appears that 50 per cent of the nitrogen in sulphate 

 of ammonia, 48 per cent of that in stable manure, aud 30 per cent of 

 that in green alfalfa was utilized by mustard in its G weeks of growth. 



The nitrogen of stable manure was more immediately available in 

 the author's experiments than in those of previous investigators, a fact 

 which he ascribes to his having used the manure with its full comple- 

 ment of urine as soon as it came from the animal. 



The losses of nitrogen in barnyard manure and their preven- 

 tion, J. Stokl.\SA [Oesterr. ungar. Ztschr. Ziiclccrind. und Laiulw., 33, 

 pp. 525-536; ahs. in Ghcm. Genthl., 45 {1804), II, N'o. 19, p. 800).— The 

 author undertook to study the chemical processes involved in these 

 losses. It was found that urea did not decompose when dissolved in 

 pure sterilized water and air was excluded or only sterilized air 

 admitted. Inorganic acids completely prevented decomposition. 

 Organic acids (citric, tartaric, and malic) to the extent of 1 to 3 per 

 cent promoted decomposition. Cattle urine, after 60 days of alkaline 

 fermentation, showed a loss of 56.7 per cent of its original nitrogen. 



Nitrification under normal conditions in urine from different sources 

 was also studied. Mtrates were observed in urine within 3 days. 

 Calcium suljihate did not appear to promote nitrification. Nitrates did 

 not appear in a solution of pure urea until 3 cc. of urine was added. 

 Nitrites were also observed resulting probably from the decomposition 

 of amids. Investigations of the action of monocalciuin phosphate and 

 orthophosphoric acid on ammonium carbonate showed that diammo- 

 Ilium phosphate was the result of the reaction. 



