<)2 Report of the Acting Director and Chemist of the 



(2) Vegetable nitrogen compounds. 



(3) Animal nitrogen compounds. 



(1) Commercial Fertilizing Materials containing Mineral 

 Nitrogen Compounds. 



The forms of mineral compounds containing nitrogen, most com- 

 monly found in the market, are nitrate of soda and suljphate of am- 

 monia. Much less common are nitrate of potash and muriate 

 (chloride) of ammonia. 



Nitrate of Soda, known also as " Chili saltpeter," is found in large 

 deposits which have been formed in the rainless regions of Chili and 

 Peru. As it is mined, the nitrate of soda is quite impure, the chief 

 impurity being common salt. Before being sent to market, it is 

 purified, and the form in which farmers purchase it generally con- 

 tains from 95 to 96 per cent, of real nitrate of soda. Stated in 

 another way, 100 pounds of good commercial nitrate of soda contain 

 from 15|- to 1(5 pounds of nitrogen. 



Sulph'ate of Ammonia is formed from waste materials produced 

 in the manufacture of illuminating gas. This is the most highly 

 concentrated form of nitrogen commonly found in the market. 

 One hundred pounds of sulphate of ammonia contain about 25 

 pounds of ammonia, which is equivalent to about 20^ pounds of 

 nitrogen. 



(2) Commercial Fertilizing Materials Containing Yegetahle 

 Nitrogen Compounds. 



While nitrogen may be supplied by many forms of vegetable 

 matter, only a few substances of this kind are used in commercial 

 fertilizers, chief of which are cottonseed-meal, castor-heoM pomace 

 and tobacco stems. 



Cottonseed-Meal is the product formed by removing the oil 

 from the seed by pressure, after which the material is dried and 

 ground. It has been used at the South mainly for fertilizing pur- 

 poses. One ton of cottonseed-meal contains about 140 pounds of 

 nitrogen, 60 pounds of phosphoric acid and 40 pounds of potash. 

 It is valued highly as a food for cattle, and, when thus fed, prac- 

 tically all of the fertilizing value is recovered in the manure. When 

 it can be purchased at a moderate price, it makes a valuable fertili- 

 zer to be applied directly to the soil. The hulls of the cottonseed 

 .also possess considerable fertilizing value. 



