oxide, with an overrun of only .78 per cent of magnesium oxide to offset this defi- 

 ciency. This is a product that varies considerably from year to year, as it is com- 

 posed of the extremely fine dust that is removed by means of a forced draft from 

 the rotary kilns. 



Two brands appearing in Table I were deficient in calcium oxide (one sample of 

 lime ashes and one sample of slaked lime), but had quite a large overrun in mag- 

 nesium oxide, so that the lime ashes put out by the Champlain Valley Lime Company 

 showed an actual deficiencj^ of only 1.16 per cent of effective oxides, and the hydrated 

 lime put out by the New England Lime Company under the brand name of Con- 

 necticut Agricultural Lime showed an actual deficiency of only 9.87 per cent of effec- 

 tive oxides. Two other brands were deficient in magnesium oxide, but showed over- 

 runs in calcium oxide to balance or nearly balance the deficiencies. 



Two samples of lime ashes, Tolman Lime-Wood Ashes and the Champlain Valley 

 Lime Company's Lime & Ashes, showed rather high percentages of acid soluble 

 potash and phosphoric acid. These were sent in by the manufacturers. Two other 

 brands of lime ashes, put out by Farnam Cheshire Lime Company and Hoosac Valley 

 Lime Company, Incorporated, sampled by our inspectors, ran much nearer in potash 

 to the general average. 



The sample of precipitated lime, put out by the Hampton Company, showed 

 a deficiency of 3.34 per cent of calcium oxide. This particular sample was rather 

 wet, which probably explains this lime shortage. 



GROUND LIMESTONES AND GROUND SHELL LIME. 



A study of Table II, which contains the analyses of these products, shows that 

 5 out of 8 brands failed to meet their minimum guarantee in calcium and magnesium 

 oxides. The deficiencies, however, were not great, ranging from 1.11 to 6.29 per cent 

 calcium carbonate, the latter being shown by the Grangers Agricultural Limestone. 

 The brand of oyster shell lime put out by the Producers Sales Company showed a 

 deficienc}^ of 5.81 per cent of calcium carbonate. 



The degree of fineness to which the raw lime products and the shell lime have 

 been ground is graphically illustrated on page 5. 



EXPLANATION OF TABLES OF ANALYSES. 



The data contained in Table I need only a few comments, as follows : — 

 In every lot of lime or lime product, a certain proportion of the magnesium or 

 calcium oxide present is combined with carbonic acid to form a carbonate. This 

 process takes place when a lot of quicklime or of hydrated lime is allowed to "air- 

 slake." The column headed "Proportion of total oxides as carbonates" represents 

 the extent to which this change has taken place. Lime or magnesium not in the 

 form of a carbonate is present either in the caustic form or as a hydrate (water-slaked 

 Ume). 



The column headed "Pounds of effective oxides in one ton" gives the calculated 

 calcium oxide and magnesium oxide figured on the ton basis, it being assumed that 

 all of the lime and magnesia from this source will become available during a five-year 

 period. 



