6 



BULLETIN 37, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of 20.5 per cent, is equivalent to 243,335 tons of nitrogen. The 

 amount of nitrate of soda, 2,490,121 tons, shipped from Chile that 

 year, on the basis of a nitrogen content of 15 per cent, is equivalent 

 to 373,500 tons of nitrogen. Of the total amount of nitrogen obtained 

 from Chile niter and ammonium sulphate, that from niter is equal to 

 60 per cent of the whole and that from ammonium sulphate. 40 per 

 cent. Since more of the former than of the latter is used for purposes 

 other than agricultural, it is probable that the production of nitrogen 

 for fertilizer purposes from coal distillation is greater than that from 

 the Chile nitrate beds. If this is not true at present, it is expected 

 that the increased use of the by-product coke oven shortly will bring 

 it to pass. 



The world's output in ammonium sulphate during 1912 is given by 

 countries in Table VII, in which the United States appears third in 

 point of output. 1 



Table VII. — World's production of ammonium sulphate, 1912. 



Country. 



Germany 



England 



United States 

 France 



Produc- 

 tion. 



Tons. 



465, 000 



379, 000 



155, 000 



68, 500 



Country. 



Produc- 

 tion. 



Belgium 



Spain, Italy, other countries 



Total 



Tons. 

 49,500 

 170,000 



1, 287, 000 



Ammonium sulphate as a stimulator of plant growth compares 

 favorably with sodium nitrate. While it is generally believed that 

 the nitrate of soda is more immediately available for plant assimila- 

 tion than the sulphate of ammonia, the two give practically the same 

 results as fertilizers. The sulphate possesses a slight advantage 

 in being a somewhat more nitrogenous body than the nitrate, con- 

 taining 20 per cent nitrogen against the 15 per cent contained by the 

 nitrate. 



The development of the ammonium-sulphate industry is possible 

 in two directions: In the displacement of beehive ovens by by- 

 product recovery ovens, and in the development of the coking 

 industry, with the utilization, of course, of the by-product ovens. 

 There is no good reason, should the fertilizer industry demand it, 

 why the entire amount of ammonia now thrown away annually 

 in the coking industry should not be rendered available. In addi- 

 tion to these two particulars in which the production might be in- 

 creased mention should be made of other possible sources of ammonia 

 which have been suggested, such as the distillation of oil shales, 

 peat, garbage, and the sludge obtained in sewage-disposal plants. 



i Cf. J. Ind. Eng. Chem., 5, 253 (1913). 



