78 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



towards producing new compounds of our most expensive ele- 

 ment of plant food, nitrogen. Statistics show that, at the 

 present rate of consunij)tion, it is only a matter of a few 

 years before the supply of nitrate of soda from our present 

 source will become exhausted. This will become a very 

 serious matter, unless new deposits of nitrate are discovered, 

 or science shows us an economical method of utilizing the 

 inexhaustible supply of atmospheric nitrogen. Attempts 

 have been made to manufacture nitric acid by an electrical 

 method which utilizes the nitrogen of the air, and which 

 has proven more or less successful. Attempts have also been 

 made to combine the atmospheric nitrogen with lime to form 

 cyanimid compounds. This method has also been successful, 

 but whether these cyanimid compounds will prove practical 

 fertilizers or not we are at present unable to say. It has 

 long been known that cyanogen compounds are poisonous to 

 plant growth; but they are easily decomposed, and it is pos- 

 sible that it may be found safe to use them by applying them 

 to the soil some time previous to the planting of the crop. 



During the year we have heard much about the use of 

 ground feldspar and granitic rocks as a source of potash. 

 In the early history of the use of artificial fertilizers, potash 

 in the form of silicates was recommended. They were, how- 

 ever, found unsuitable as a source of potash, as they were 

 not easily decomposed, and the more soluble forms of potash 

 soon took their place. It is a well-known fact that many 

 soils of granitic origin are benefited by an application of 

 soluble potash compounds. In view of the above facts, we 

 would caution the user of commercial fertilizers against pur- 

 chasing ground feldspathic rocks as a source of potash. 

 Through a process of electrolysis and endosmosis, investi- 

 gators have succeeded in recovering 80 per cent, of the potash 

 in feldspathic rocks. In this age of cheapening electrical 

 power it may not be impossible that this process may be suc- 

 cessfully employed to economically produce potash for our 

 future needs in the fertilization of agricultural soils for 

 farm crops. 



Following is a partial list of materials forwarded by 

 farmers during the year: — 



