21 



luoniates 1.89 per cent, organic nitrogen 1.59 per cent. From these 

 figures it will be seen that about 54.00 per cent of the total nitrogen 

 was present in mineral forms and 40.00 per cent in organic forms. 

 It was found that .52 per cent of the organic nitrogen used was water 

 soluble and that 1.07 per cent was water insolul)le. Of this latter 

 .58 per cent was found active and .49 per cent inactive l)y laboratory 

 methods. The percentage activity of the total nitrogen was about 

 86.00 per cent, of the total organic nitrogen 69.00 per cent, and of 

 the water insoluble organic nitrogen 54.00 per cent. 



Brands of Mixed Fertilizers Showing Inferior Forms of Nitrogen. 

 Fifteen out of a total of 122 brands of complete fertilizers, and nine 

 out of a total of 158 brands of ammoniated superphosphates, besides 

 one brand of partially dried peat or humus, one brand composed 

 largely of soot and eight samples of pulverized sheep manure, were 

 found to contain organic nitrogen of questionable quality and are 

 indicated in the tables of analyses by the word "inferior'^ in the 

 column headed "Quality of Water Insoluble Organic Nitrogen." 



The table which follows gives in detail the results of studies on 

 the brands of mixed fertilizers (complete fertilizers and ammoniated 

 superphosphates) which show the presence of inferior forms 

 of nitrogen by both the alkaline and neutral permanganate 

 methods. In the interpretation of the results, in case of the alkaline 

 method, an availability materially below 50.00 per cent, and in case 

 of the neutral method an availability below 85.00 per cent, class the 

 water insoluble nitrogen as inferior. A considerably larger number 

 of samples contained organic nitrogen of inferior quality than in 1916, 

 six of the brands of complete fertilizer being recorded as showing 

 inferior forms during the previous year, as well as for 1917. They 

 are as follows: — Armour's Grain Growler, Armour's Wheat, Corn 

 and Oats Special 1-8-2, Baugh's Complete Animal Base Fertilizer, 

 Baugh's High Grade Potato Grower, Carters Worm Eradicating 

 Fertilizer, and Mapes Corn Manure. 



It might be said in this connection that the campaign against 

 inferior forms of organic nitrogen was not instituted nor intended to 

 discourage the use of low-grade organic nitrogen-containing sub- 

 stances. The necessity of utilizing these products in order to keep 

 pace with the growing demand for organic ammoniates, as well as to 

 keep down the price of the higher grade organic nitrogen compounds, 

 is fully recognized. Most of the products which contain nitrogen of 

 a low availability may be so treated as to render the resulting mixture 

 highly available. The employment of this process, as in the manu- 

 facture of a base goods, should be encouraged in every legitimate 

 manner. The Massachusetts fertilizer law, however, does not con- 

 cede to the manufacturer the privilege of using these substances in 



