498 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S CONSULTING CHEMIST. 

 By Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, M.A., F.I.C., F.L.S. 



During the year 1908 eleven samples were submitted for analysis by 

 Fellows of the Society. The list of these is as follows : — 



Manures 3 



Waters ........ 2 



Soils 6 



11 



Of the three samples of fertilizers two were those of shoddy, and 

 these respectively gave : — 



A. B. 



Per cent. Per ceut. 



Nitrogen .... 5-47 5*53 



Equal to ammonia . . . 6-64 ' 6*71 



These, at the price of 40s. a ton, may be considered quite good value. 

 The third sample of fertilizer was one of basic slag. This gave on 



analysis : — 



Per cent. 



Phosphoric acid , . . . . 13 24 

 Equal to tribasic phosphate of lime . . 28-93 

 Fineness of grinding 74-3 



This sample was not of high quality, and might well have been more 

 finely ground : 80 per cent, fineness of grinding ought, speaking generally, 

 to be obtainable. 



Of the two samples of water sent, one was of soft nature, giving only 

 9-52 grains of total solid matters to the gallon. This water was found to 

 have a decided action upon metals, and it contained both lead and zinc 

 in solution. It was found that a lead pipe had been used from the well 

 to the cistern in which the water was stored. The action on lead was 

 not very pronounced, and the water was found to exert this to a greater 

 extent on new and bright lead than on old and dull lead. 



The second sample of water was of a very different nature, yielding 

 72-52 grains of total solid matters to the gallon. These were composed 

 principally of carbonate and sulphate of lime. The water was, in 

 consequence, one of very hard nature. It had, in addition, nitrates and 

 chlorides in considerable amount, and was a badly polluted supply, 

 altogether unsuited for drinking purposes. 



The majority of samples sent during the year consisted of soils. In two 

 cases the soils were found to be distinctly deficient in lime. The only 

 other sample calling for special attention is the following : — 



A member of the Society, residing near Malvern, sent for analysis a 

 sample of soil taken from a field which had been planted with currants, 

 bush -apples, and strawberries. In 1905 the field had received a dressing 

 of lime, in 1906 fish guano, and in 1907 farmyard manure. In spite of 



