OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS 53. il5 



Potash. No change is made in the arrangement of the 

 potash results. 



Thf Meaning of the Rksijets Found for Nitrogen. 



In order to obtain an idea of the vakie of the organic nitro- 

 gen in any given brand from the figures given in the table, it 

 is necessary to compare the columns of active insoluble and 

 inactive insoluble nitrogen, and also take into consideration 

 the amount of soluble organic nitrogen. That is, the organic 

 nitrogen is valuable in proportion as the percentage of the 

 active is greater than the inactive, and the amount of water 

 soluble is large or small. A fertilizer show^ing more than twice 

 as much active as inactive insoluble nitrogen would be rated as 

 high grade. Also in one carrying a Cjuite large percentage of 

 water soluble and small amounts of active and inactive water 

 insoluble the nitrogen would be likewise rated as high grade. 

 One showing a small amount of water soluble and a larger 

 amount of inactive than active would be classed as a poor grade 

 of organic nitrogen. The percentage of inactive as compared 

 with the total organic is the measure of the value of the organic 

 nitrogen in the goods. With a fair amount of organic nitrogen 

 soluble in water, a large per cent of active and a small am.ount 

 of inactive, the organic nitrogen is considered good. If but a 

 small amount is soluble in water and less active than inactive 

 is found the organic nitrogen would be considered low grade. 



The column headed "available nitrogen" is somewhat anal- 

 ogous to the available phosphoric acid column which has been 

 used for years. It cannot, however, be relied upon without 

 reference to the other results reported >in the table. While as a 

 general rule the nearer the figures in the available column ap- 

 proach to the figures in the total nitrogen column the better the 

 grade of nitrogen in the goods this must be construed in con- 

 nection with the other preceding figures The mineral nitrogen 

 is all available and consequently must be taken into considera- 

 tion in estimating the availability of the organic nitrogen. While 

 the additional data obtained by the determinations of the differ- 

 ent forms of organic nitrogen aid materially in interpreting the 

 results of the analysis, the methods are not all that could be 

 desired. The results are comparative rather than absolute. 



