November 28, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



769 



burg, and which was such a splendid success, also 

 because foreign countries took so numerously part 

 in it — it became the principal aim to extend the 

 German Monists ' Union, and to make it an In- 

 ternational Union. This Universal Monists' 

 Union, representing an immense promotion of our 

 high tasks of culture by uniting the free-thinkers 

 of all countries, will be the more able to prove its 

 importance practically, the more liberal also my 

 friends abroad in all the continents will partake 

 of the gifts for the new foundation. 



The new seven and one half-inch photo- 

 graphic telescope v^as placed in position in the 

 Memorial Observatory of the Nantucket Maria 

 Mitchell Association on November 15, the 

 mounting and final adjustment by Alvan Clark 

 ■and Son's Corporation, completing the work. 

 The lens was made by T. Cooke & Sons, York, 

 England. It has been subjected to various 

 tests at Harvard College Observatory by the 

 director. Dr. Edward C. Pickering, personally, 

 •and by his several assistants who have given 

 it careful attention. Eev. Joel H. Metcalf, 

 ■whose astronomical discoveries by means of 

 photographs are well known, has also carefully 

 •examined its work. By all of these it is pro- 

 n.ounced good. The Nantucket Observatory 

 is now well equipped for photographic study 

 ■of asteroids or other heavenly bodies. 



The London Astronomical Society opened 

 •on November 7 at Alton, Hants, a new observ- 

 .atory erected by one of its members, Mr. 

 James H. Worthington. The site selected is 

 ■over 600 feet above sea level, near the Melstead 

 Station. Here Mr. Worthington has erected 

 what, both in finish of instruments and in 

 -general facilities, is said to be the finest pri- 

 vate observatory in England. It is more than 

 ■20 miles from any manufacturing to'wn, and 

 the atmosphere is not affected by any strong 

 .artificial lighting. There are altogether six 

 rtelescopes. The two largest are under domes 

 :24 feet and 22 feet in diameter, respectively, 

 <and are a 20 inch reflector and a 10 inch re^ 

 fractor. 



Statistics of the fertilizer industry in the 

 TTnited States for 1909 are presented in detail 

 in a bulletin soon to be issued by the Bureau 

 'of the Census. It was prepared under the 



direction of W. M. Steuart, chief statistician 

 for manufactures. The report covers estab- 

 lishments making artificial fertilizers, the 

 products being ordinarily ready for use with- 

 out being subjected to further treatment. The 

 production of certain kinds of products which 

 are used more or less exclusively for fertilizing 

 without further manufacture is not covered by 

 this report. The raw materials used by fer- 

 tilizer factories include animal, vegetable and 

 mineral products, while sulphuric and other 

 acids are employed extensively in the treat- 

 ment of the basic materials. The finished 

 products include a variety of classes, such as 

 " complete " fertilizers, which consist of a 

 mixture of superphosphates with both potash 

 and ammoniates, superphosphates with or with- 

 out ammoniates, concentrated phosphates, and 

 other minor classes. The total number of 

 establishments reported as engaged primarily 

 in the manufacture of fertilizers in 1909 was 

 550, with a capital of $121,537,451. The num- 

 ber of persons engaged in the industry was 

 21,950, of whom 18,310 were wage earners. The 

 total value of all products of the 550 establish- 

 ments amounted to $103,960,213, of which 

 $92,369,631 was the value of fertilizers proper, 

 the amount of which was 5,240,164 tons. The 

 sum of $11,882,815 was paid out for services, 

 of which $7,477,179 was for wages. As judged 

 by the amount expended for them, ammoniates, 

 animal and vegetable, were the most important 

 materials, followed by phosphate rock, potash 

 salts, superphosphates, nitrate of soda, ammo- 

 nium sulphates, sulphuric acid, fish, pyrites, 

 and kainit in the order named. The cost of 

 materials aggregated $55,360,423 in 1909, 

 $28,975,713 in 1904, and $23,454,126 in 1899. 

 Of these respective totals, the cost of ammo- 

 niates formed 42.4 per cent, in 1899 as com- 

 pared with 34.2 per cent, in 1904 and 29 per 

 cent, in 1909. The cost of phosphate rock 

 shows only slight proportionate changes; it 

 constituted 15.2 per cent, of the total of the 

 specific materials in 1899, 14.6 per cent, in 

 1904, and 15.6 per cent, in 1909. The cost of 

 potash salts represented 13.2 per cent., 12.4 

 per cent, and 13.2 per cent, of the total for the 



