Armval Report for 1911 of the Consulting Chemist. '^6?> 



Achilteration of feeding stuffs, when found, has occurred 

 mostly in the case of offals of wheat, such as pollards, toppings, 

 sharps, &c., and occasionally with barley meal. The improve- 

 ment noted last year in this respect has not been maintained, 

 and it behoves purchasers to keep a strict look-out for the 

 occurrence — more particularly in the above — of rice-husk, a 

 worthless and irritating material, the presence of which, apart 

 from its detection by the microscope, is indicated by the high 

 percentage of silica shown in an analysis. It is satisfactory to 

 record that the Board of Agriculture has recognised rice-husk 

 as a " worthless " material for feeding purposes, and, as the 

 result, sevei-al prosecutions under the Fertilisers and Feeding 

 Stuffs Act have been successfully carried through. Notably has 

 this been the case with a material sold under the name of " Cod- 

 Liver Oil Condition Mixture," and which contained considerable 

 admixture of rice-husk or " shudes." 



In regard to manures, these have been — as a whole — very 

 satisfactory, and the prices for the materials in general use 

 have remained much as they were. 



There would appear to have been a considerable increase in 

 the extent to which basic slag is used. In connection with 

 the sale of this material it may be remarked that certain firms 

 now sell this, not on the amount of "total phosphates" 

 contained, but on its "solubility" ; that is, the percentage of 

 phosphates soluble in a 2 per cent, citric acid solution. This 

 practice proceeds on the assumption that it is only the so-called 

 " soluble " phosphates which are of value. That, however, 

 this is the case I am by no means inclined to admit. No doubt 

 the phosphates soluble in citric acid indicate that portion 

 which is more readily assimilable than the remainder, but I 

 am not at present inclined to say that the total amount of 

 phosphates is by no means immaterial. This is a point upon 

 which experimental work of inquiry is really needed. What 

 is, however, very essential in basic slag is the " fineness of 

 grinding." 



The movement in the direction of sugar-beet cultivation 

 has made decided progress in England during the year, though 

 it has not yet resulted in the establishment of a factory in this 

 country. Until this be done, it is impossible to ascertain 

 whether beet-growing in England will "pay." That sugar- 

 beet can be grown perfectly well is now beyond dispute. The 

 past exceptional season has been very unfavourable to the 

 progress of the movement, and, indeed, it has been somewhat 

 fortunate that factories were not established, inasmuch as there 

 would have been but little produce to send to them. 



At the Woburn Experimental Farm, plots of sugar-])eet of 

 different varieties and under different conditions of planting 



