590 



INDEX. 



peat, 123 ; possesses power of fixing 

 ammonia, 57 ; potash in, 215 con- 

 dition of, in, 216 ; potential fertility 

 of, 549 ; power of, for absorbing 

 gases, 81 ; relation of, to plant- 

 roots, 84 ; retention of plant-food 

 by, 57 ; retentive power of, for 

 water, 70-73 ; sewage purified by, 

 435 ; shrinkage of, 74 ; variation in 

 absorbing powers of, 82 ; varieties 

 of, 67 ; virgin, 133 ; water in, most 

 favourable amount of, 75 ; water- 

 logged, 179 ; wheat, nitrates in, 157. 



Soluble phosphate, 386. 



Sombrero phosphate, 308, 328, 330, 

 379 ; phosphoric acid in, 330. 



Somme phosphate, 378. 



Soot, 428 ; application of, rate of, 

 429 ; crops suited by, 429 ; nitro- 

 gen in, 428. 



South America, guano deposits in, 

 327 ; meat-meal guano from, 324. 



Starbuck Island guano, 309, 328; 

 phosphoric acid in, 330. 



Stassfurt salts, 214 ; potash in, 215, 

 420. 



Stead and Eibsdale on formation of 

 basic slag, 407. 



Stoeckhardt, on composition of solid 

 excreta, 226 ; on composition of 

 urine, 229. 



Storer, Professor, on composition of 

 birds' dung, 331 ; on composition of 

 leaves, 242 ; on fish - guano, 323 ; 

 on nitrogen removed in milk, 147. 



Straw, composition of, 238 ; imports 

 of, 153 ; as litter, 236, 248 ; mineral 

 matter in, 238, 243 ; nitrogen in, 

 237, 243 ; variation in composition 

 of, 237. 



Subsoil, conditions favourable for 

 nitrification in, 181. 



Suffolk coprolites, 374. 



Sugar-beet refuse, potash in, 219. 



Sulphate of alumina, a precipitant of 

 sewage, 437. 



Sulphate of ammonia, 352-358 ; am- 

 monia in, 355 ; application of, 356 ; 

 composition of, 355; a concentrat- 

 ed nitrogenous manure, 356 ; con- 

 verted into nitrates, 356 ; from 

 gas-works, 353 ; from iron-works, 

 355 ; from shale-works, 354 ; manure 

 for cereals, 356 ; most easily nitri- 



fiable manure, 191 ; production of, 

 151, 358 ; properties of, 355 ; source 

 of nitrogen, 149 ; sources of, 353, 

 354, 358 ; sulphocyanate of ammonia 

 in, 355. 



Sulphate of lime a fixer, 246. 



Sulphate of magnesia, an adulterant 

 of guano, 319 ; as a fixer, 246. 



Sulphate of potash, application of, 

 422 rate of, 423 ; compared with 

 muriate, 421 ; sources of, 218, 420. 



Sulphuretted hydrogen from farm- 

 yard manure, 258. 



Sulphuric acid, action of, on bones, 

 382 on guano, 311 on tricalcic 

 phosphate, 398 ; in ash of plants, 

 54 ; as a fixer, 245, 285 ; necessary 

 for plant -growth, 55; superphos- 

 phate manufactured with, 384, 388. 



Superphosphate, 382-400; action of, 

 392-395 sometimes unfavourable, 

 395 ; application of, 395 rate of, 

 397 ; composition of, 391 ; discovery 

 of, 382 ; hastens early growth, 394 ; 

 high -class, 392 ; low -class, 392 ; 

 manufacture of, 383 - 385 phos- 

 phates suitable for, 384 ; medium- 

 class, 391 ; production of, 382 ; 

 reversion in, 389, 399, 400 causes 

 of, 389, 390 ; reverted in soil, 392. 



Surprise Island guano, 328. 



Swan Island guano, 328. 



Swedes, fertilising ingredients remov- 

 ed from soil by, 485 ; manurial con- 

 stituents in, 282 ; manuring of, 514. 



Swine-dung, alkalies in, 226 ; com- 

 position of, 227 ; nitrogen in, 226 ; 

 phosphoric acid in, 226 ; water in, 

 226. 



Swine-urine, alkalies in, 230 ; com- 

 position of, 231 ; nitrogen in, 230 ; 

 phosphoric acid in, 230; water in, 

 230. 



Sydney Island guano, 309. 



Syenite, 106 ; phosphoric acid in, 202, 



Sylvin, potash in, 220. 

 Symbiosis, 44. 



Tamarugal, Pampa de, nitrate deposits 

 in, 340. 



Tarapaca, nitrate deposits in, 340. 



Temperature necessary for nitrifica- 

 tion, 52, 175. 



