I'JIO.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 43 



millet iu pots under conditions which can be absolutely con- 

 trolled in every detail. The exj^eriments in question were not 

 instituted for the sole purpose of studying the availability of 

 nitrogen in peat, but rather to make a detailed investigation 

 regarding the availability of nitrogen from every well-known 

 source, whether of a mineral or organic nature. The duplicate 

 investigations were conducted in galvanized iron pots holding 

 38.75 pounds of soil. Each pot was fertilized with an abun- 

 dance of potash and phosphoric acid, and the same amount of 

 nitrogen was applied in each instance (5.4 grams) a few days 

 before planting the millet ssed. Five millet plants were allowed 

 to grow and reach maturity in each pot. Care and watering 

 were so regulated as to maintain uniform conditions. The 

 results for the year 1908 show that sulfate of ammonia leads, 

 with a percentage increase over the nothing pots of 74.17 per 

 cent, of seed and 91.03 per cent, of straw. The peat ranks low, 

 giving an increase of only 5.44 per cent, seed and 10.53 per cent, 

 straw. These results are, of course, not conclusive, as they show 

 only one year's investigation. 



It is claimed that garbage tankage of our large cities can be 

 economically made into a fertilizer, commonly known to manu- 

 facturers as base goods, by treating the tankage with sulphuric 

 acid, the resulting product showing a high degree of availability 

 of its nitrogen. The writer has successfully made a fertilizer 

 from wool waste, the resulting product of which showed nearly 

 100 per cent, of nitrogen availability. Some such process may 

 be applied to peat, and it is not improbable that the time will 

 come when the nitrogen in peat will be utilized as a source of 

 plant food by treatment with strong mineral acids as in the 

 manufacture of base goods. It is questionable, however, if it 

 would be at present on account of the large variety of other more 

 concentrated and easily accessible ammoniates, both animal and 

 vegetable that may be used in this process. 



The use of commercial fertilizers is increasing enormously, 

 and in a comparatively few years every source of plant food will 

 be taxed to supply the demand for available ammoniates. As 

 our western States become obliged to use more and more fertil- 

 izer each year, attention must sooner or later be turned towards 

 our immense peat dej^osits. 



