630 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The use of superpliospliate for fixiiii;- aiimiouia in manure and urine 

 is condemned on account botli of its feeble power in this respect 

 and the reversion of its sohible plios[i]ioric acid. 



Analyes of seaweeds, F. W. Toms {Ann. Bj)t. Official Analyst of 

 Island of Jersey for the year ending March 35, 1892., pp. 17-21). — In view 

 of the imi)ortan('eof seaweeds to the a.iiiicultnre of thisishaud, detailed 

 aiuilyses were made of the followini;- species: Knobbed vraic {Fttciis 

 nodosus), twin-bladder vraic {F. vesiculosns), serrated or boat vraic, 

 and common or fingered colley {Laminaria digitata). The resnlts 

 reported are the averages of analyses of fresli weeds, dry weeds, and 

 pure ash from samples collected in IMarch, May, August, and October. 

 The proportion of valuable constituents was h)wer in autumn and 

 higher in spring than the average. The samples collected in summer 

 gave the highest proportions of potash and the lowest of nitrogen. 

 " The deep seaweeds (colleys) are particularly rich in soluble potash 

 salts, but the 'cut weeds' growing near the shore contain less potash 

 but more soda compounds." The proportions of the more important 

 constituents vary within the following limits: Water, 75 to 82 per cent; 

 nitrogen, 0.25 to 0.3; potash, 0.5 to 1.5; phosphoric acid, 0.1 to 0.13, or 4 

 to 5 per cent of ash constituents according to the variety. 



Inspection of fertilizers, W. H. Jordan, J. M. Bartlett, and L. 

 H. Merrill {Maine Sta. Bid. 11, 2d ser., pp. 18). — This bulletin gives 

 a schedule of trade values with notes on valuatio)i and tabnlated 

 analyses of 4 samples of fertilizers furnished by the manufacturers, 

 and GO collected by the station under the provisions of the new fertil- 

 izer law. A comparison of the nuxnufacturers' minimum guarantees 

 and the actual composition of both the samples sent to the station by 

 the manufacturers and those selected in the open market by the station 

 shows that " on the average the samples selected by the station were 

 about 5 per cent poorer in nitrogen, 2 per cent poorer in phosphoric 

 acid, and 10 per cent poorer in potash than those sent to the station by 

 the manufacturers. ..." It is not easy to explain why in 30 cases out 

 of 51 the station samples selected by the station in the markets should 

 fall so much below the manufacturers' sample in the percentage of pot- 

 ash soluble in water," but it has been suggested " that potash in mixed 

 fertilizers disappears to some extent from soluble forms. . . . No facts 

 are at hand to support or discredit this ^iew. 



*' In general it may said that the analyses of manufacturers' samples 

 . . . were in a majority of cases a fairly safe representation of the 

 goods that were sampled in the market, excepting the somewhat 

 remarkable deficit in potash." 



Fertilizers, G. C. Watson {New Torlc CorneU Sta. Rpt. 1S93, pp. 96-55).— A reprint 

 from Bulletin 52 of the station (E. S. R., 4, p. 903). 



On what class of soils, to what crops, and in what form shall potash fertilizers 

 be applied? Ill, Schultze {Braunschw. Jatidw. Ztg., Gj {1S94), No. 51, pp.L'lS, ,214). 



Keeping up our lands, I. P. Roberts {Cult, and Country Gent., 1S95, Feb. 7, p. 103). 



The production of manure, U. C. Watson {New York Cornell Sia. Bpt. 1893, pp, 

 173-190).— k reprint of Bulletiu 65 of the station (E. S. R., 5, p. 387). 



