EXPERIMENT STATION. 407 



Report of the Chemist. 



Ecl-(jrass. 



(Sent on by the South Bristol Farmers' Club, IN'ew Bedford, Mass.) 



I. Taken from water, March, 1882. 



II. Taken from water, October, 1881, and left to the action of air, rain and sun until 

 March, 1882. 



Moisture (as sent on), 



Volatile and organic matter, 



Ash constituents, 



Nitrogen in organic matter, 



Potassium oxide, 



Sodium oxide, .... 



Calcium oxide, .... 



Magnesium oxide, 



Ferric oxide, .... 



Pliosphoric acid. 



Insoluble matter. 



The composition of the seaweeds in their natural condi- 

 tion is somewhat modified by adhesive sea-shells, sea-water, 

 etc. ; not tw^o samples would strictly agree in composition. 

 Time and exposure modify organic and inorganic constitu- 

 ents ; the alkalies and some phosphates, are liable to be 

 washed out in part by rain; starchy materials, etc., are 

 decomposed apparently at a higher rate than nitrogenous 

 organic matter ; lime and magnesia compounds increase 

 usually in rate by keeping in open air; potash and soda 

 decrease. The entire amount of potash, phosphoric acid 

 and nitrogen contained in the organic vegetable matter is 

 finally available. 



Five cents per pound for potash, six cents' per pound for 

 phosphoric acid, and twenty- four cents per pound for nitro- 

 gen is their present market price. 



The chemicals in eel-grass are available in the same ratio 

 as the disintegration advances, and as eel-grass deca-ys very 

 slowly, on account of its saline admixture under most cir- 

 cumstances, its agricultural value in general is not so fully 

 appreciated as in those materials of equal composition Avhere 

 circumstances favor disintegration. Additions of lime will 

 prove beneficial in that direction. 



