11.] NITRATE OF SODA 45 



is likely to be more valuable, because, as will be 

 shown later, part at least of the lime base will be 

 left behind in the soil as calcium carbonate. This 

 will be an advantage in peaty soils, and will also save 

 clay soils from the peculiar wetness and stickiness 

 which results from the employment of much nitrate 

 of soda. The present price is about ^8, 8s. per ton at 

 the British ports. 



Turning now from the atmospheric nitrogen and 

 the various possibilities of utilising it to the purely 

 nitrogenous fertilisers that are available, we can begin 

 by dividing them into two classes, the quick and the 

 slow acting, in the first of which we have practically only 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, cyanamide, and 

 nitrate of lime. Our acquaintance however with the two 

 latter is too limited as yet to enable us to do more than 

 predict that they will fall into line with sulphate of 

 ammonia and nitrate of soda respectively. Nitrate of 

 soda has now been in use in this country for something 

 like seventy years, the Chilian deposits having been 

 first discovered about the time of Darwin's voyage 

 round the world in the Beagle. As nitre had long 

 been known to possess great manurial value, the 

 exportation of nitrate of soda to Europe was at once 

 suggested, and in 1830 it appears that a trial ship- 

 ment was made of 18,700 quintals of about 100 lb. 

 each. By 1838, the date of the first volume of the 

 Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society^ it was being 

 tried experimentally by a good many landlords and 

 farmers in this country. The production grew rapidly, 

 and reached its maximum in 1899, when 1,344,550 tons 

 were consumed ; since then the output has declined a 

 little, owing to combination between the producers. 

 At the present time the United Kingdom takes about 

 one-twelfth of the total production, Belgium an equal 



