CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTORY 



Early Notices of Manures and Manuring — The Growth 

 of the Theory of Nutrition of Plants — Priestley, de 

 Saussure, Boussingault, Liebig, Lawes and Gilbert, 

 Hellriegel and Wilfarth — The Introduction of Com- 

 mercial Fertilisers — General Outline of the Process of 

 Nutrition of Plants — The Constituents of the Soil — Mode 

 of Entry of Food into the Plant — Nature and Function 

 of a Fertiliser . .... 



CHAPTER n 



FERTILISERS CONTAINING NITROGEN 



The Importance of Nitrogen — Evidence that Plants cannot 

 utilise the Free Nitrogen of the Atmosphere — Ammonia 

 and Nitric Acid in the Atmosphere — Origin of the 

 World's Stock of Combined Nitrogen — Nitrogen-fixing 

 Bacteria — Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen to form 

 Calcium Cyanamide — Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen 

 in the Electric Arc ; Manufacture of Nitrate of Lime — 

 Nitrate of Soda : Nature and Origin — Properties of 

 Nitrate of Soda : Use as a Fertiliser — Value of the Soda 

 Base — Injurious Effects of Nitrate of Soda upon the 

 Texture of the Soil — Sulphate of Ammonia : Sources 

 and Production — Changes undergone by Sulphate of 

 Ammonia in the Soil — Acidity of Soil induced by 

 Sulphate of Ammonia — Relative Value of Nitrate of 

 Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia — Other Nitrogenous 

 Fertilisers : Soot, Shoddy, Fur and Feather Waste, 

 Hoofs and Horns — Slow Action of such Manures — 

 Seaweed . . . . . -25 



