124 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Though rather on the heavy side for general gardening purposes, 

 such a soil should be well suited to rose-growing, and is not at all 

 poor in constituents of fertility, though, for a garden soil, it would 

 be the better for more vegetable matter such as stable manure would 

 supply. 



2. Waters. — One of the two samples sent was good and pure. 

 It contained 15*12 grains per gallon of total solid constituents and 

 was quite free from ammonia, having also but little dissolved organic 

 matter. The other sample of water was turbid and coloured. It 

 was found, on analysis, to contain much dissolved organic matter, 

 though not otherwise polluted. Efficient nitration would in such 

 a case render a water capable of being used. 



3. Flue-dust. — Materials sold under tins name are often of very 

 variable character. If they come from regular blast-furnaces, they 

 may contain considerable amounts of potash salts, but, too frequently, 

 the sweepings of any flues employed in manufacturing processes 

 are recovered and designated by this name, without, however, con- 

 taining enough potash to make their use on the land remunerative. 

 In addition to tins they may contain certain ingredients actually 

 harmful to vegetation. 



Of the two samples sent, the first was of blast-furnace dust, but 

 of decidedly low quality, though free from any injurious constituents. 

 The second came from a furnace where wood had been almost 

 exclusively used as fuel. 



A B 



Oxide of iron and alumina . . . .12-10 



Lime 37-33 



Silica ....... 19*23 49'70 



Potash . . . . . . .2-15 -6o 



equal to sulphate of potash . . . 3-98 i-n 



4. Waste M anuria! Materials. — The first was of ash from the 

 burning of pitch along with charcoal. This was found, however, 

 to contain a large amount of soluble sulphides which would, no doubt, 

 be very harmful to vegetation. 



The next was a spent " carbonizer," which it was thought might 

 be useful as a fertilizer. Analysis gave : — 



Loss on drying ...... 7*09 



Carbonaceous matter . . . . .44-10 



Oxide of iron and alumina .... 4-59 



Phosphate of lime ...... 35*13 



Carbonate of lime &c. ..... 4-26 



Silica 4-83 



ioo-oo 



This material, it will be seen, had a very considerable amount of 

 phosphate of lime, which, however, was in a form not readily available 

 for plant use. Still, it could quite well be employed by makers of 

 artificial manures, who could treat it with oil of vitriol and thus 



make the phosphates available. 



