52 FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER HINTS 



average about 5.3 per cent, nitrogen, 1.25 per cent, potash and 

 1.6 per cent, phosphoric acid. Linseed meal is not used ex- 

 tensively as fertilizer because of the high price it commands as 

 feed for live-stock. 



Castor pomace is the remaining product from the extraction 

 of oil from the castor bean. It is poisonous to live-stock and 

 therefore is used for fertilizer. It averages about 5.5 per cent, 

 nitrogen, 1.8 per cent, phosphoric acid and i per cent, potash. 

 As it decomposes rapidly in the soil it makes an excellent fer- 

 tilizer.* 



The Chief Animal Substances. 



Dried blood is obtained from the large packing houses of the 

 United States. There are two kinds on the market, namely, red 

 and black blood. The red blood is obtained by drying blood very 

 carefully with superheated steam and hot air. Should the blood 

 be dried at too high a temperature it chars and turns black. If 

 the blood is injured in any way it is sold as black blood. Red 

 blood averages about 13.5 per cent, nitrogen with traces of phos- 

 phoric acid while black blood is a more variable product but 

 usually contains 12 per cent, nitrogen and i to 3 per cent, phos- 

 phoric acid, depending upon the nature of the impurities. When 

 bone is present the product contains sometimes as high as 4 per 

 cent, phosphoric acid. Red blood is not used for fertilizer be- 

 cause it commands too high a price for other purposes. Both red 

 and black blood are ground and sold in a powdery condition. 

 Black blood is a very valuable nitrogenous fertilizer which is 

 in great demand and is very popular with the manufacturers of 

 fertihzers in satisfying their formulas. It is one of the principal 

 organic fertilizers used by manufacturers in the North. It is 

 not used directly to any extent by farmers as the manufacturers 

 purchase most of it. It is in a fine mechanical condition and is 

 easy to mix with other materials. As plant food it gives ex- 

 cellent results as it decays very rapidly thus furnishing nourish- 

 ment during the early stages of the growing period. Sometimes 

 salt and slaked lime are put in blood. It is very high in avail- 

 ability being somewhat quicker than cotton-seed meal. 



