306 



Report on Crop Prospects. 



[august, 



There were 495 works or separate processes for the manu- 

 facture of sulphate or muriate of ammonia, an increase of 46 

 since 1904. The most important source from which com- 

 pounds of ammonia are obtained commercially is coal. When 

 this is treated for the production of coal-gas or for the manu- 

 facture of coke used in iron smelting, an " ammoniacal liquor " 

 results, which forms the raw material for the manufacture of 

 ammonium salts. The distillation of the bituminous shales 

 used in the Scotch paraffin industry also yields a certain amount, 

 and the ammonia produced in iron works, where coal is used 

 instead of coke, is also collected. The quantity of sulphate of 

 ammonia produced in the United Kingdom is shown in the 

 following table : — 





1906. 



1905. 



1904. 





Tons. 



Tons. 



Tons. 



Gas works 



157,160 



155,957 



150,208 



Iron works 



21,284 



20,376 



19,568 



Shale works 



48,534 



46,344 



42,486 



Coke-oven works 



43,677 



30,732 



20,848 



Producer -gas and carbonising works 









j (bone and coal) 



18,736 



15,705 



12,880 



Total 



289,391 



269,114 



245,990 



A considerable proportion of the increase of 20,000 tons was 

 contributed by the coke oven works, which have nearly trebled 

 their production since 1902, when the yield was only 15,300 tons. 



The exports of this product amounted to 201,500 tons, 

 compared with 189,500 tons in 1905, to that . the balance 

 available for home consumption was about 88,000 tons. 



The Crop Estimators of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries reporting on the condition and prospects of the 

 principal crops on 15th July unanimously 

 Report on Crop comment on the adverse influence of 

 Prospects. the wet and cold weather which prevailed 



during the spring and early summer, 

 and remark that the recent advent of fine warm weather 

 has materially improved the outlook. The continuance of 

 more favourable conditions generally since the reports were 

 made must be further taken into account. 



Wheat is reported as generally promising an under average 



