SOILS FERTILIZERS. 519 



for the five years according to the crops in the rotation. In the majority of 

 cases the increased vahie is more than $20. This should be regarded us a good 

 investment on tlie money exi)endod for (lie limestone — that is, the cost of one 

 application varying from 0.5 to 2 tons per acre for the entire five years." 



Methods and results in vegetation experiments, J. G. Lipman and A. AV. 

 Blaiu (Xcw JcTiicij 8tas. Bill. 269 U'Ji'i), PP- 5-11).— Two series of pot experi- 

 ments with radio-active material on barley are reported. In the first the mate- 

 rial was used at rates of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 gm. per pot containing 20 lbs. of sand 

 with which had been mixed 8 gm. of acid phosphate, 4 gm. of potassium sul- 

 phate, 5 gm. of calcium cax-bonate (ground limestone), 0.5 gm. of magnesium 

 sulphate, and 0.25 gm. of iron sulphate. In the second the material was used at 

 rates of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 gm. per pot containing 9 lbs. of gravelly loam soil to 

 which had been added 4 gm. acid phosphate, 2 gm. potassium sulphate, 1 gm. 

 nitrate of soda, and 5 gm. of ground limestone. In neither case did the radio- 

 active material show any appreciable effect. 



Utilization of the fish waste of the Pacific coast for the manufacture of 

 fertilizer, J. W. Tubkentine {U. S. Dcpt. Agr. Bui. 150 {1915), pp. 71, pis. 6, 

 figs. 2). — This is a part of a general inquiry as to the fertilizer resources of 

 the United States and their utilization. It deals with the technology and waste 

 of fish, especially salmon, in canning, but discusses particularly the fertilizer 

 value of the waste and methods of utilizing it for the preparation of fish scrap 

 or of a mixed fertilizer with kelp. Brief reference is also made to the prep- 

 aration of fish scrap from the herring, tuna, whale, halibut, and sardine fisheries 

 of the Pacific coast, with analyses of dried fish scrap from sardine, whale, tuna, 

 and dogfish fisheries. 



The waste from the salmon fisheries " is variously estimated to be from 25 

 to 50 per cent of the original or ' round ' weight of the fish." The total waste 

 from this source on the Pacific coast is stated to be 140,210 tons valued at 

 $2,103,150. 



The average composition of the raw waste from the mechanical dressing of 

 "humpback" salmon was found to be nitrogen 3.02, phosphoric acid 1.59, 

 moisture 64.6, and oil 10.43 per cent. 



Of the total amount of waste only 800 tons were utilized on the Columbia 

 River in 1913 and 15,500 tons around Puget Sound, the product being 1.630 tons 

 of dried fish scrap and 280,000 gal. of oil. The scrap showed nitrogen varying 

 from 7.63 to 9.49 per cent, averaging 8.7 per cent; phosphoric acid, from 5.32 to 

 12.08 per cent, averaging 8.31 per cent; moisture, fi-om 3.91 to 5.36 per cent, 

 averaging 4.97 per cent; and oil, from S.32 to 20.02 per cent, averaging 14.32 per 

 cent. ^Menhaden scrap shows as the average 8.43 per cent of nitrogen, 0.69 of 

 phosphoric acid, 7.72 of moisture, and 6.99 of oil. 



As the most efficient means of conserving the waste the author recommends as 

 au alternative of the central rendering station, which has generally failed to 

 meet the requirements of the situation, a small unit by-products plant of low 

 capacity, ju.st sufficient to treat the waste of the cannery of which it forms a 

 part. In order that the plant may be continuously and iirofitably employed it is 

 suggested that it may be utilized when the canning season is ended in preparing 

 kelp for fertilizing purposes. A report on the fish scrap industry of the Atlantic 

 coast has been previously noted (E. S. U., 30, p. 320). 



Report on commercial fertilizers, 1914, E. H. Jenkins and J. P. Street 

 {Connecticut State 8ta. Rjit. 1914, pt. 2, pp. 43-112).— Analyses and valuations 

 of 776 samples of fertilizers collected and examined during the 1914 inspection 

 are rei)orted, with notes on the source and character of the raw materials and 

 miscellaneous fertilizing materials examined, the latter including sheep manure, 



