REPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S CONSULTING CHEMIST. 



181 



REPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S CONSULTING CHEMIST, 

 Dr. J. A. VOELCKER, M.A., F.I.C., F.L.S. 



During the year 1905 thirty samples were submitted to me by Members 

 of the Society for analysis. 



Of these, eighteen were samples of water, six of them were soils, and 

 the remainder artificial manures and miscellaneous materials. 



The list of samples is as follows : — 



Basic slag ...... 1 



Sulphate of ammonia . . .1 

 Artificial manures .... 2 



Horse manure . . . . .1 



Sludge ...... 1 



Waters 18 



Soils. . . . . . .6 



30 



The samples of basic slag and artificial manure were of good quality, 

 as also was that of sulphate of ammonia, this coming up to the guarantee 

 of containing 24^ per cent, of ammonia. 



A sample of horse manure was submitted to me for the purpose of 

 knowing whether it had been treated with disinfectants. As is well 

 known, if disinfectants have been used for horses' dung which is to be 

 employed for the purpose of making mushroom beds, the manure may be 

 rendered practically useless for the purpose. In the case under observa- 

 tion, however, there was no indication of the presence of disinfectants, 

 and different moulds were growing freely upon its surface. 



The sludge gave on analysis the following results : — 



Moisture 6-58 



*Organic matter 33-65 



Oxide of iron and alumina .... 6*22 

 Phosphate of lime ..... 3*69 



Carbonate of lime, &c 33*73 



Insoluble siliceous matter .... 16T8 



100-00 



*Containing nitrogen . . . . .1-94 

 equal to ammonia .... 2-35 



This sludge had evidently been well dried, and the analysis shows 

 exceptionally good results, the material containing 3^ per cent, of 

 phosphate of lime and over 2 per cent, of ammonia ; and, costing as it 

 did only 2s. Qd. to 3s. per load delivered, a material such as this is 

 decidedly useful for garden land. 



Of the eighteen samples of water submitted, whether for drinking 

 purposes or for garden use, only five of them were found to be of a really 

 satisfactory nature. Two others were of more or less indifferent quality, 

 and the remainder were distinctly polluted, several of them to a very large 



