8 



fertilizers," and in this publication it is stated that "It has 

 been shown that by the process used in the case of this fer- 

 tilizer the nonavailable nitrogenous materials have been made 

 highly available, not only because the nitrogen compounds can 

 be ammonified quickly in the soil, but also because these com- 

 pounds are directly utilizable by plants." 



It is fortunate, indeed, that such materials, which have a 

 relatively low value as fertilizer if applied in their natural or 

 untreated state, can ♦be transformed into entirely different 

 chemical combinations which have an exceedingly high availa- 

 bility and value for fertilizing purposes. This not only aids in 

 keeping down the price of other organic ammoniates, but it 

 also insures a larger supply of highly available ammoniates. 



According to the tests of availability which have been made 

 by various experimenters, the important organic ammoniates 

 stand in about the following order as concerns their availa- 

 bility:— 



1. Dried blood. 



2. Fish. 



2 to 3. Tankage. 



3 to 4. Cottonseed meal. 



5. Solid horse or cow manure. 



Other organic ammoniates, such as roasted or untreated 

 leather, rank so low in availability that they are unfit for use 

 in fertilizers. The agricultural experiment stations are now 

 making tests of the availability of the organic nitrogen in 

 fertilizers in order that the purchaser may be protected against 

 any unscrupulous manufacturer who would be so unwise as to 

 use such materials in their untreated and unavailable state. 



What has been said illustrates some of the advantages of 

 the proper compounding, preparation, and mixing of fertilizers. 

 Something should also be added about the importance of having 

 fertilizers in such mechanical condition that they can be stored 

 with the assurance that when the time comes to apply them 

 they will be in good mechanical condition for distribution by 

 machinery or by hand. The fertilizer manufacturer knows 

 that if certain fertilizer ingredients are mixed a short time 

 before their application, they very promptly set or become 



