192 



ates preponderating, so that it can not fairly be called a ' sulphate of 

 potash/ 



" 2. (a) Some of the samples of ashes analyzed this year were nota- 

 bly deficient in j)otash. 



"(6) Ashes from household fires in New England as a rule contain 

 more potash and phosphoric acid than Canadian or AVestern ashes. 



"((?) A large part of ashes, leached as Ay ell as unleached, consists of 

 carbonate of lime. Ayhich may benefit land in three ways : 



" First. It binds loose soils and makes them hold moisture, and on 

 the other hand makes clay soils less stiff. 



" Second. It corrects ' sourness ' in the soil, caused either by soluble 

 iron salts or mineral acids. 



'' Third. It favors nitrification. 



"(fZ) Hence the yalue of ashes never wholly, nor always, chiefly 

 consists in the plant food which they contain. 



"(e) It is possible that a heavy application of unleached ashes 

 might injure a heavy clay soil by reason of the alkali in them. 



" 3. (a) The analyses of seventy-six mixed commercial fertilizers 

 are given in this bulletin. In twenty-seven of them the percentage 

 of one ingredient, is below the minimum quantity guaranteed by the 

 maker. In twelve others two ingredients are deficient and in five 

 others, all three — nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash — are deficient 

 as compared with the guarantee. 



"(?') The average percentage difference between cost and valuation 

 this year has been 19.1 for superphosphates and guanos and 13.4 for 

 special manures. Avhich is lower than in any year since 1884." 



Storrs School Agricultural Experiment Station. 



Connected with Starrs Agrictiltural School. 

 Location, Storrs. Dii-ector, W. O. Atwater, Ph. D. 



BULLETIN No. 4. JULY. 1889. 



Meteorological observatioxs. E. A. Bailey (p. 1). — Summary of 

 observations from January 1 to June 30. 1889. 



Bacteria in milic and its products. II. AV. Coxx. Ph. D. (pp. 

 2-12). — This is a brief report on investigations made in 1888 and 

 1889, including a condensed statement of the methods used, and 

 accompanied by general explanations. The following summary is 

 printed in italics in the bulletin : ' 



"(1) Bacteria, or microbes, as they are often called, abound in air, 

 water, and soil, in animal and vegetable substances, and in living 

 plants and animals. They are extremely minute, and multiply with 

 wonderful rapidity wherever the circumstances are favorable. Cold 

 hinders their development. When heated long enough at the tem- 

 perature of boiling water, they are killed, but their spores, which 

 correspond to seeds, will endure even this temperature for some time, 

 though higher heat kills them speedily. 



