224 EXPERIMENT STATION KECORD. 



sown to six-rowed barley. The results obtained at harvest time were- 

 rendered valueless through an accident, but the appearance of the 

 barley throuohout the vegetative period clearly showed tlie superioritj' 

 of the legumes as green manures, and the small crops in the buckwheat 

 and mustard pots were ripe while the barley plants in man}^ of the 

 legume pots, notably the field pea and the common A'etch pots, were 

 large and still green. — v. w_. woll. 



Further notes on organic nitrogen availability, C. H. Jones and 

 B. O. White ( Vermont Sta. Rpt. 1899^ pp. 137-139). — An account is 

 given of further tests of the alkaline permanganate method for deter- 

 mining the availabilit}^ of organic nitrogen in fertilizers (E. S. R., 11, 

 p. 328). The results are given of trials of the method on the follow- 

 ing nitrogenous materials: Acidulated fish (nitrogen, 6.72 per cent); 

 tankage (6.43 per cent); high grade tankage (8.33 per cent); concen- 

 trated tankage (12.99 per cent); dissolved tankage (4.51 per cent); hair 

 tankage, wool, horn, meat. etc. (9. 10 "per cent); garbage tankage, New 

 York (3.15 per cent); garbage tankage, St. Louis (4.76 per cent); 

 garbage tankage, St. Louis (2.11 per cent); dissolved horn and hoof 

 (11.13 per cent); hog bristles (11.20 per cent); hair (9.82 per cent); 

 fertilizer containing cotton-seed meal as its sole source of nitrogen 

 (2. 15 per cent) ; cotton-seed meal fertilizer (1. 72 per cent) ; cream gluten 

 meal (5.87 per cent); "gluton" (1.75 per cent); Atlantic gluten meal 

 (12.43 per cent); cocoanut fiber feed (3.63 per cent). As in previous 

 tests, equal quantities of material and quantities of material furnishing 

 equal amounts of nitrogen were used. 



" The misleading results obtained with equal quantities of material but unequal 

 weights of nitrogen are as evident in this as in last year's work. When, however, 

 equal amounts of nitrogen are taken (modified method) useful results are attained. 



"Animal ammoniateit. — Not one of the better forms shows less than 56 per cent 

 availability by the modified method, while the garbage and Philadelphia tankages, 

 wool waste, leather and leather refuse, all of which are of well-known inferiority as 

 fertilizers, show from 41 to 18 per cent availability. Hair tankage and hog bristles 

 range unexpectedly high. 



"Vegetable amnioniafef:. — The modified method was found in last year's experience 

 less satisfactory with vegetable than witli animal anunoniates. It seemed probable 

 that the low availability found with cotton seed, flax, and gluten meals, materials 

 well known to be effective in actual field use, was due to the relatively large content 

 of nonnitrogenous organic matter. This (;ouiectnre was borne put Ijy the lowered 

 results on high-grade animal anmioniates when filter paper, starch, etc., were di- 

 gested with them, as well as by the higher figures obtained with a vegetable ammo- 

 niate after it has been acidulated for many months. In order to throw more light 

 upon this question a liighly pro teinous vegetable by-product, Atlantic gluten meal,, 

 was secured. This material carried 7.04 per cent moisture, 0.42 per cent crude ash, 

 77.69 per cent crude protein, 0.24 per cent crude fiber, 13.59 per cent nitrogen-free 

 extract, and 1.02 per cent ether extract. Although belonging to the same class of 

 material as the other glutens, it showed 70.2 per cent nitrogen availability instead 

 of 46 and 30 per cents. It seems safe to ascril)e this result to tlie low percentage 

 (14.85) of nonnitrogenous organic matter. 



