222 



XXII. 



Manufacture of fertilisers. Examination and valuation of fer- 

 tilisers. - - Frauds in the sale of fertilisers. - Trade in 

 fertilisers. Legislation regarding fertiliser-trade. - - Va- 

 luation of unexhausted manurial residues in soils. 



Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. Methods of analysis of 

 fertilizers and feeding stuffs for 1908. (Analyst, 34, 1909, 

 No. 403, p. 461-468). E. S. R., vol. XXII, March 1910, No. 4. 

 Washington. 



This is a description of the methods of analysis of fertilizers 

 and feeding stuffs agreed upon by the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries. 



J. HENDRICK. Arsenic in Manures and effect on poultry. 



Trans, of the Highl. and Agric. Soc. of Scotland, Ser. V, Vol. XXI, 

 p. 309. Edinburgh, 1909. 



It was feared that some fowls were being poisoned by picking 

 over the fields manures with traces of arsenic. The crude vitriol 

 (sulphuric acid) which is used in preparing such manures as super- 

 phosphate and sulphate of ammonia generally contains arsenic, 

 sometimes in considerable quantity. It was from the use of such 

 vitriol in preparing brewing sugars that a bad outbreak of arsenic 

 poisoning was caused a few years ago among consumers of the 

 beer prepared from such sugars. It is to be expected that super- 

 phosphate and other dissolved manures, and, to a less extent sul- 

 phate of ammonia, will contain arsenic. Superphosphate frequently 

 contains a considerable amount of arsenic. It is not likely, how- 

 ever, that this would be a serious source of danger to animals in 

 ordinary circumstances. It has been shown by experiment also 

 that the arsenic does not pass into the plants grown by the help 

 of such manures, so that there is no danger of stock or human 

 beings being poisoned by consuming ciops grown by the aid of 

 such arsenic contaminated manures. 



