1044 Synthetic Nitrogenous Fertilisers. [Feb., 



was very rapid before the War, the number of metric tons 



produced in the different countries being, in total: — 



1906 500 



----- 1907 ... ■ • 1,700 



1908 2,510 



1909 11,550 



1910 20,495 



1911 54,506 



1912 104,938 



1913' 156,944 



During the War the expansion in producing capacity of the 



various works was astonishing: — 



1914 ... ... ... 194,726 



1915 771,155 



1916 981,500 



Most of the expansion took place in Germany. Arrange- 

 ments are now being made for the establishment of works in 

 this country. 



It is usual to compare nitrolim with sulphate of ammonia. 

 The broad result of all the trials is that nitrolim is somewhat 

 slower in action than the sulphate, and is better drilled with 

 the seed than used as a top dressing. Taking successes and 

 failures together, the value of the nitrogen in nitrolim can be 

 expressed as 90 if that in nitrate of soda is expressed as 100: 

 sulphate of ammonia comes in between at 96.6. Some of the 

 failures, however, doubtless arose from improper use, and it 

 is quite probable that a better average will be made in the post- 

 war period. Experimental results obtained at Kothamsted and 

 elsewhere show how some of the failures arose. A certain 

 poisonous impurity may be present, which, however, the 

 technical chemists can no doubt avoid, and a certain pre- 

 liminary decomposition has to take place in the soil, the 

 effective agent for which may not always be present. The 

 fault lies not so much in the material as in our defective know- 

 ledge of the proper conditions for using it; fortunately, this 

 is a matter that can be put right. Those concerned in this 

 country fully realise these difficulties and will no doubt find 

 a way out. 



Among many experimental results, the following may be 

 quoted : — 





Potatoes. 



Woburn, 1909. 



Sandy 

 Loam. 



Devon. 

 Light Soil. 



Jersey. 

 (Five Centres). 



Aberdeen. 



(Various Centres) 

 1907-9. 



Sulphate of ammonia 

 Nitrolim 



No nitrogenous fertiliser . . 



/. cwt. 

 15 19 

 15 7 

 14 12 



cwt. 

 12 

 12 

 9 18 



lb. pei' perch. 

 228 

 232 

 195 



t. cwt. 

 9 12 

 8 17 

 8 6 



