548 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1302 



referring to the relative convenience of these meth- 

 ods for fertilizer chemists. Also points out again 

 thalt the West Coast method is deceptive and recom- 

 mends that it be eliminated from contracts govern- 

 ing transfers of commercial nitrate of soda. Also 

 shows development of a modification of the Kjel- 

 dahl-Gunrdng (sulfuric-salicylic) method for the 

 rapid and accurate determination of nitrate, as 

 ammonia, also indicates errors in this method as 

 sometimes used. Also shows correct application of 

 the method to mixed fertilizer containing nitrate. 



The caking of sulphate of ammonia: C. G. At- 

 WATER AND Dr. J. F. W. ScHTULTZ. Sulphate of 

 ammonia, even when dried and screened to fit it 

 for fertilizer use by itself as a top dressing, has 

 shown a tendency to cake in certain cases. Exami- 

 nation of the material that had given trouble 

 finally indicated in this case that the trouble was 

 due to the presence of salts of pyridine bases 

 which are deposited with the salt in the saturator. 

 These impurities give the salt a slightly sticky na- 

 ture; cause absorption of water and caking. By 

 passing dry ammonia gas through the sulphate to 

 neutralization, the pyridine was set free and the 

 objectionable characteristics removed. 



The caking of sulfate of ammonia and aoid ■phos- 

 phate mixtures: C. G. Atwater and J. F. W. 



SCHNTILTZ. 



The American potash industry: R. O. E. Davis. 

 Domestic production of potash grew from 1,000 tons 

 in 1915 to 9,000 in 1916, 32,000 in 1917, and .55,000 

 in 1918. At the close of 1918 there was a potash- 

 producing capacity in this country of approxi- 

 mately 100,000 tons per annum. The sources of 

 potash are widespread, covering about sixteen 

 states in various sections of the Union. The main 

 production has come from Nebraska and California. 

 Fourteen cement plants have installed methods of 

 collecting potash from flue dust. Two blast fur- 

 naces have similar methods in operation. Five 

 molasses distilleries are recovering potash from 

 their wastes. A number of beet sugar refineries 

 recovered small amounts of potash. The Green 

 sands of New Jersey are a source of potash for 

 two plants. One plant is utilizing Georgia shale 

 as a source of potash. One plant at Marysvale, 

 Utah, is utilizing alunite, and kelp formed the 

 basis of operation for four large companies on the 

 Pacific coast. Other minor sources exist, such as 

 wood ashes, wool washings, and the brines of the 

 great Salt Lake basin. The best prospects for 

 the development of a permanent industry in com- 

 petition with foreign potash appears to be from 

 the gradual solving of technical details of proc- 



esses where potash can be obtained in localities 

 near consumption centers and in the development 

 of by-products. Western producers must meet 

 the handicap of high freight rates to eastern 

 markets, although the development of by-products 

 and improved methods may overcome this handi- 

 cap. 



The relative availability of nitrate nitrogen and 

 commercial organic nitrogen — field and cylinder 

 experiments: A. W. Blair. For more than 20 

 years, the New Jersey Experiment Station has 

 been studying by means of field and cylinder ex- 

 periments, the relative availability of nitrate ni- 

 trogen from organic sources. The work has been 

 conducted on two types of loam soil and also on 

 a loam with varying admixtures of coarse white 

 sand to represent soils varying in texture. For all 

 of these soils, except those containing 80 per cent, 

 or more of sand, the nitrates have stood first in 

 yield of dry matter and percentage of nitrogen 

 recovered in the crop. Under the most favorable 

 conditions, only a little over 60 per cent, of the 

 applied nitrogen can be recovered in the crop. 

 Under less favorable conditions, the percentage 

 recovery is much lower, often amounting to only 

 one third of the amount applied. The average re- 

 covery of nitrate nitrogen in the field experiments 

 was 37 per cent, and of organic nitrogen 26J per 

 cent. It is suggested that the reason for the 

 larger return from nitrate nitrogen than from 

 organic nitrogen may be found in the immediate 

 availability of the former. The plant is thus 

 given a good start and on account of the rapid 

 growth which it makes, it is able to utilize the 

 nitrogen more fully than the plant which must wait 

 for a supply of available nitrogen, until the or- 

 ganic matter has gone through the process of de- 

 composition. Charles L. Parsons, 



Secretary 

 (To ie continued) 



SCIENCE 



A Weekly Journal devoted to the Advancement of 

 Science, publishing the official notices and pro- 

 ceedings of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science 



Published every Friday by 



THE SCIENCE PRESS 



LANCASTER, PA. GARRIS(»J, N. Y, 



NEW YORK, N. Y. 



Entered in the post-office at L&aGast«T, Pa., as second class marttei 



