622 AGRICULTURAL ANALYSIS 



(K 2 O), by phosphoric acid phosphoric anhydrid (P 2 O 5 ), and 

 by ammonia the total nitrogen expressed as ammonia, namely, 

 H 3 N, are meant. This latter constituent is also very frequently 

 expressed "nitrogen as ammonia." In some parts of the coun- 

 try it is customary to calculate the phosphoric acid as trical- 

 cium phosphate. In this form the name which is very com- 

 monly employed is "bone phosphate" or "bone phosphate of 

 lime" whether it be made from bone directly or from phosphate 

 rocks. 



In some of the States the origin of the nitrogen is also re- 

 quired to be placed upon the label and also its character, namely, 

 nitrogen as nitrates, nitrogen as organic matter, etc., or, if cer- 

 tain forms of organic matter be used, namely, leather or hair, 

 this fact is also required to be stated. There is also a very 

 strong movement in the United States to secure the expression 

 of results of analyses of fertilizers in the elemental form, name- 

 ly, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium 

 (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), etc. There is also some 

 influence brought to bear in the United States to report the re- 

 sults of the analysis of fertilizers in their ionic form. 



The whole matter of the uniform notation of the results of 

 the analyses of fertilizers in the United States is complicated by 

 the large number of State laws requiring a certain form of ex- 

 pression. Even if the agricultural chemists of the country 

 should agree upon a common form it would require legislation 

 in many States to make it effective. 



524. Objections to the Elemental System. The objections to 

 *he elemental system of nomenclature may be summarized as 

 follows as applying to the United States. 91 



i. The proposed elemental system is used only by one State; 

 the common form, namely, K 2 O potash, P 2 O 5 phosphoric acid, 

 and N nitrogen or H 3 N ammonia, is used by nearly all the other 

 States and by many foreign countries. The adoption of the 

 elemental system will produce confusion among the States, and 

 even if adopted by all the States would not be in harmony with 

 the practice of other countries. 



31 Fraps, Preliminary Report on the Unification of Terms, Bureau of 

 Chemistry, Unnumbered Circular, 1905 : 4. 



