426 
nitrogen by chemical and electrochemical proc- 
esses, are produced in constantly increasing quan- 
tities, but organic ammoniates, including tankage, 
blood, ete., can not be produced in sufficient quan- 
tity to meet the demand and can not be entirely 
replaced by the inorganic sources of nitrogen for 
reasons involving mechanical condition, so that the 
fertilizer may be applied to the soil by suitable 
machinery. Much care and thought should be 
given to methods of control by state fertilizer 
authorities, so that arbitrary methods of analysis 
may not prevent the utilization of organic am- 
moniates which are now being wasted and thus the 
cost of the necessary organic ammoniates be 
forced up beyond all reasonable bounds. This is a 
matter of conservation of resources as well. The 
nitrogen of practically all the coal burned in this 
country should be recovered in the form of sul- 
phate of ammonia. 
In striking contrast to the demand for high 
availability of nitrogen is the proposal to use raw 
phosphate rock, the phosphoric acid of which is 
admittedly not available or at least so slowly that 
its application does not pay. It is highly desirable 
that commercial methods of producing available 
phosphoric acid from phosphate rock by cheaper 
and more efficient means than by conversion into 
acid phosphate should be found, although the Wis- 
consin Agricultural Experiment Station has re- 
cently pointed out that the sulphur in acid phos- 
phate, present as calcium sulphate and produced 
by the treatment of phosphate rock with sulphuric 
acid, is a very necessary element in fertilizers, as 
much as and in some cases more so, than phosphoric 
acid. 
The German potash controversy has stimulated 
renewed activity in the search for sources of com- 
mercial potash salts in this country, so that we 
may not be dependent upon Germany for this 
important constituent. The U. 8S. Geological Sur- 
vey is now engaged in drilling a well, at Fallon, 
Nevada, as it seems likely that such deposits may 
exist in that region. 
After discussing the various theories proposed 
to explain the action of commercial fertilizers, the 
possibility is pointed out that the results obtained 
from the use of commercial fertilizers may in part 
be due to a protective action which they exercise 
on the cells of the plant in some way similar to 
the action of the salts in sea water on animal 
organisms. 
The need of a comprehensive and scientifically 
accurate theory of fertilizers is pointed out, so 
that wasteful and unscientific use may give way 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 898 
to the most efficient and economical, hence most 
profitable, use. 
Burt L. Harrwent and F. R. PEMBER: The 
Effect of the ‘‘Wet Process’’ on the Avail- 
ability of Low-grade Nitrogenous Materials. 
In all, two crops of Japanese millet, two of oats 
and one of buckwheat were grown in pots on two 
different soils which were supplied with all the 
necessary non-nitrogenous manures. The amount 
of nitrogen supplied in the various nitrogenous 
materials which were tested was the same for each 
crop. Hair tankage, garbage tankage and roasted 
leather were used both before and after being sub- 
jected to digestion in the presence of phosphate 
rock and sulfuric acid (the ‘‘ wet process’’). 
The nitrogen of the garbage tankage had a very 
low availability both before and after acidulation; 
while that in roasted leather and hair tankage, al- 
though of low availability before, was much more 
available after, treatment. 
The treatment by the ‘‘wet process’’ of these 
nitrogenous materials individually was conducted 
in the laboratory, but a mixture of the three was 
treated by the regular ‘‘wet process’’ in a fer- 
tilizer factory. Over 70 per cent. of the nitrogen 
in the ‘‘base goods’’ so manufactured was soluble 
in water and highly available, but the insoluble 
nitrogen was of no immediate value. 
F. B. Porter: A Method for Testing Out Prob- 
lems in Acid Phosphate Manufacture. 
1.1 grams rock dust are weighed into 5” X 3” 
test tube, known amount of acid added from 
Mohr’s pipette. Stir three minutes, keep at any 
desired temperature for any desired time. 
Transfer on to 9 em. filter paper with water and 
determine insoluble phosphoric acid. 
Ayerage of three or four tests taken for result. 
I. K. Puepes: Exact Work in Fertilizer Analysis. 
C. H. Jones: Activity of Organic Nitrogen as 
Measured by the Alkaline Permanganate Method. 
The alkaline permanganate method for nitrogen 
activity is described in detail, together with the 
form now used for reporting results. 
Results on fourteen different crude nitrogenous 
stock samples, 8 commercial fertilizers, and 13 
mixtures of known composition are stated in tab- 
ular form, and explanations are given as to their 
interpretation from a standpoint of nitrogen 
activity. 
A method is presented for determining the per- 
centage of ‘‘nitrogen in the organic and volatile 
matter.’’ Its application to fertilizers and crude 
stock as a means of determining whether the 
