98 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Part II. — Report ox General Work ix the 

 CiiEMroAL Laboratory. 



C. A. GOESSMANN. 



1. Analyses of materials forwarded for examination. 



2. Notes on soil analyses. 



3. Notes on wood ashes and lime ashes. 



4. Notes on Peruvian guano. 



5. Notes on sugar-beet refuse. 



6. Notes on city garbage products. 



1. Analyses of Materials forwarded for 

 Examination. 



During the season of 1903, 235 samples of fertilizing 

 materials and miscellaneous substances have been received 

 from farmers within our State for analysis. Many of these 

 materials are refuse or by-products from some manufac- 

 turing industry. Some of these by-products contain only 

 nitrogen, some contain phosphoric acid or possibly potash 

 compounds, other's contain two, and many of them contain 

 all, of the essential elements of plant food. In either case 

 the material possesses a distinct commercial value, which can 

 be ascertained only by a careful chemical analysis. 



As in the past, the investigation of materials for general 

 fertilizing purposes has been carried on free of charge to far- 

 mers within our State. Our practice has been to analyze 

 this class of materials in the order in which the samples 

 arrive at this otBce. Beginning about April 1 and continu- 

 ing through the summer and early fall, work of this nature 

 has to give place to our official inspection work on commer- 

 cial fertilizers. For this reason we would advise those send- 

 ing samples for analysis free of charge to send as early in the 

 season as possible. The winter season usually offers more 



