16 



Brands showing Inferior Forms of Nitrogen. 



Five brands of complete fertilizer were found to contain organic nitrogen of low 

 activity by the laboratory methods. Before a fertilizer is marked as having its water 

 insoluble organic nitrogen in "inferior" form, it must first show an activity of its 

 water insoluble organic nitrogen below 50 by the alkaline permanganate method, 

 below 85 by the neutral permanganate method, and the sum of the mineral nitrogen, 

 the water soluble organic and the active water insoluble organic nitrogen must be 

 less than the minimum nitrogen guarantee. In other words, a brand would be passed 

 without criticism if its nitrogen as nitrates and ammoniates, its water soluble organic 

 and its active water insoluble organic nitrogen equaled or exceeded the total minimum 

 nitrogen guarantee. This permits the use of a conditioner if its nitrogen is not counted 

 in the guarantee. Several brands were found to have their insoluble organic nitrogen 

 in inferior forms, but the total minimum nitrogen guarantee was fully made up by 

 nitrogen forms of unquestioned activity. Such brands do not appear in the table 

 which follows. 



The table does not include the pulverized manures, which invariably show a low 

 activity of their water insoluble organic nitrogen, nor does it include Alphano Humus, 

 whose base is largely dry ground peat known to possess a low activity. 



