COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS IN 1906. 



i!V fi;ki) w . ^roKSK. 



The fertilizer inspection for the past year resulte<l in the 

 analysis of 104 l)ran(ls of mixefl fertilizers and 10 lots of chem- 

 icals. There were more discrepancies than usual l»etween the 

 analyses and the guaranties, and these deficits Mere scattered 

 among nearly all the comj)anies represented. In a large 

 majority of cases the deficits were in hut one constituent and 

 were counterl)alanced hv an e.xcess of some other, leavintr the 

 total value unclumged. 



The high prices of nitrogenous chemicals, animal matter, 

 sul|»hate of ammonia and nitrate of soda make the nitrogen 

 supply the foremost problem for farmers in the fertilization of 

 crojis. There is little if any ehance of these materials becom- 

 ing cheaper. Animal nitrogen is directly de])endent on soil 

 nitrogen, hence cannot be increased Itevond the natural soil 

 su])i»ly. Xitrate of soda e.xists in a world-old deposit, which 

 is being steadily drawn u))on, with no evidence of renewal. 

 Suli)hate of ammonia can be recovered from coal-gas in pro- 

 portion to the manufacture of the latter, bwt its cost will be 

 governed by the scarcity of the other materials. 



Two phases of the problem (»f nitrogen supply are wholly 

 in the hands of the farmers, viz., the lessening of nitrogen loss 

 from manure [)iles and bare fields, and the development of 

 nitrogen compounds from the atmospheric nitrogen by bac- 

 teria. 



The su))))lying of phosphoric acid and potash is seconilary 

 to the nitrogen supjdy, because these constituents are as yet 

 considerably less e.\])ensive in proportion to the demand 



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