THE NITROGEN OF PROCESSED FERTILIZERS. 23 
decompose through natural conditions, be they in the soil or out of it, 
a certahi amount of hydrolysis of the proteins takes place and if the 
decomposition is allowed to proceed long enough under proper condi- 
tions complete hydrolysis will result. 
The principle involved m making the nitrogenous material in the 
soil available and in increasing the availability of low-grade nitrog- 
enous materials by factory treatment is therefore the same. In other 
words, the general chemical principle to be applied in making avail- 
able the nitrogen of low-grade fertilizers, trade wastes, etc., is that of 
complete or partial hydrolysis by any suitable means of the proteins 
contained in the wastes. Partial hydrolysis of proteins may be accom- 
plished by means of heat, boiling, steaming, heating under pressure, 
and both partial and complete hydrolysis may be obtained by treating 
with strong acids or alkalis, either in the cold for a long time or heating 
to a high temperature, the extent of hydrolysis depending on the sev- 
eral conditions. In a number of processes already in use various of 
these treatments are practiced, resulting in different degrees of hydrol- 
ysis of the original proteins. While the availability of the nitrogen 
of a fertilizer depends on the substances in which the nitrogen is con- 
tained, it also depends on the extent of hydrolysis of the proteins used in 
the manufacture. It may be stated that in general the more extended 
and final the hydrolysis the more available the nitrogen of the com- 
pounds formed, since as has been shown, the final products of hydroly- 
sis are utilized by the plant as such and are at the same time more 
readily changed into ammonia by bacteria, etc., than are the interme- 
diate compounds produced by partial hydrolysis. 
SUMMARY. 
The base goods used as a t3rpe of processed fertilizers is an organic 
nitrogenous fertihzer which contains acid phosphate. This product 
is produced by the action of sulphuric acid on certain trade wastes; 
the heat is generated by the interaction of the acid with the organic 
wastes and rock phosphate in the course of the manufacture of acid 
phosphate. It is here shown that the hydrolysis of the proteia is 
almost complete, the nitrogenous compoimds in the finished fer- 
tilizer being principally the products of primary protein decomposi- 
tion, together with a smaU amount of a proteosehke compoimd 
which has persisted. 
From the sample of base goods were isolated the following nitrog- 
enous compounds, two purine bases, guanine and hypoxanthine ; 
the three diamino acids, arginine, histidine, and lysine; and two 
monoamino acids, leucine and tyrosine. A proteoselike compound 
was also obtained and*its general nature established. 
By means of the Van Slyke method the approximate proportions 
of the different forms of nitrogen contained in the fertilizer were 
