SOILS FERTILIZERS. 219 



" The decrease in imports of potash salts extends to other groups used in the 

 chemical and other manufacturing industries. Carbonate of potash fell from 

 21,500,000 lbs. in 1913 to 16,000,000 lbs. last year [1914] ; nitrate of potash, 

 from 10,000,000 to 2,250,000 lbs.; caustic potash, from 8,500.000 to 7,250,000 

 lbs. ; and other salts, except the cyanid, from 6,000,000 to 5.000,000 lbs. Cyanid 

 of potash slightly increased, from 1,000,000 to about 1,250.000 lbs." 



Fertilizer markets {Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter, 87 (1915), No. 11, pt. 2, 

 pp. JfS, Jfl). — This is a concise review of the fertilizer trade of the United States 

 during 1914, giving data for production, consumption, and prices for nitrate of 

 soda, sulphate of ammonia, fish scrap, phosphate rock, and potash salts. 



The chemistry of base goods fertilizer, E. C. Lathkop {Jour. Indus, and 

 Engin. CJicm., 7 {1915), No. 3, pp. 228-233). — This article is based upon investi- 

 gations which have already been noted from another source (E. S. R., 32, p. 217). 



The preparation of fertilizer from municipal waste, J. W. Tukrentine 

 (U. 8. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1911f, pp. 295-310, i>l. i).— This article discusses the 

 composition and availability of sewage, street sweepings, dead animals, and 

 garbage, as well as the processes and possibilities of converting these waste 

 products into useful fertilizers. 



It is estimated that the 199 cities of the United States having a population 

 of more than 30.000 each, produce 3,600,000 tons of wet sewage sludge, or 

 720,000 tons of dry sludge, yearly, capable of producing 7.200 tons of ammonium 

 sulphate worth $4.80.000. The same cities produce over 5,000,000 tons of street 

 sweepings, containing 0.44 per cent of nitrogen, 0.1 per cent of phosphoric acid, 

 and 0.21 per cent of ix>tash. The dead animals from these cities are capable of 

 producing 25,000 tons of tankage worth $.500,000 and containing about 8 per 

 cent of nitrogen and 10 per cent of bone phosphate. The present annual pro- 

 duction of garbage tankage is roughly estimated at 150,000 tons, valued at 

 $975,000. This is obtained from 1,200,000 tons of raw garbage rendered in 

 about 25 plants. The garbage collected in 1909 in the cities having a popula- 

 tion of 30,000 or over amounted to 2,700,000 tons, capable of yielding 400,000 

 tons of dry tankage worth $2,500,000. 



Electro-manufacture of nitrates, M. Adams {Jour. Electricity, 34 {1915), 

 No. 10, pp. 190-192, fig. 1). — Some of the leading processes usetl for this purpose 

 are briefly described, and the possibilty of their profitable utilization in Nevada 

 for the production of nitric acid to be combined with the abundant natural 

 supplies of sodium carbonate for the manufacture of sodium nitrate is discussed. 



Ammonification of cyanamid, F. Lohnis {Ztschr. GdrungsphysioL, 5 {1914), 

 No. 1, pp. 16-25; ahs. in Chem. Abs., 9 {1915), No. 8, p. ii985).— Investigations 

 are briefly reported which show that there are at least 14 fungi capable of 

 transforming cyanamid nitrogen into ammonia. About one-half of these appear 

 to be species of Penicillium and about one-half of the nitrogen present is 

 transformed in cultures. In soils the cyanamid nitrogen is almost completely 

 transformed, first into ammonia and later into nitrate, and this change is more 

 rapid in sterilized than in unsterilized soil. It is suggested that the first 

 step in this change, viz, the formation of urea, is due to the action of the colloid 

 constituents of the soil, and that the further steps, ammonification and nitrifi- 

 cation, are due to the action of difi'erent kinds of organisms. 



Field experiments on the action of different nitrogenous fertilizers, Ger- 

 LACH ET AL. {Bcr. Laudw. Rcichsamte Innern, No. 34 {1914), pp. 229). — The re- 

 sults of comparative tests of sodium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, lime nitrogen, 

 calcium nitrate, calcium nitrite, and liquid manure on rye, oats, barley, wheat, 

 potatoes, and beets by the experiment stations of Bernburg, Bremen, Breslau, 

 Bromberg, Halle, and Jena are reported in detail. 



