748 
QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL 
COMMITTEE, DECEMBER 1894. 
“Roasted Nitrate of Soda.” 
Tiie Committee think it desirable to call special attention to the 
fact that under the names of “ Damaged Nitrate of Soda,” or 
“ Roasted Nitrate of Soda,” a practically worthless material is in 
some parts being sold to farmers as a fertiliser. This material is in 
reality the residue obtained from the nitre pots used in oil of vitriol 
manufacture, and has been almost entirely deprived of the nitrate it 
contained, so that it has hardly any manurial value at all. 
It is believed that farmers are induced to purchase this refuse 
under the idea that they are getting a cheap manure containing an 
appreciable quantity of nitrate of soda. A case exemplifying this 
was set out in the Report of the Committee for July, 1894 (Journal 
R.A.S.E., Third Series, Vol. V., Part III., No. 19, p. 546), and the 
following forms another instance in point : — 
1. Mr. W. H. Glossop, of Forest House, Babworth, near Retford, 
sent on September 11, 1894, for analysis, a sample of what, he said, 
purported to be “ damaged nitrate of soda.” 
Dr. Yoelcker’s analysis and report were : — 
September 19, 1894 
25 \ 
•25\ 
•29 
•05 V 
Water .... 
Common salt . 
Nitrate of soda ....... ’05 )■ lOO'OO 
Free sulphuric acid ....... 14 - 05 
Sulphate of soda, &c 85'36 
This is not nitrate of soda at all, but probably the refuse from nitre pots 
used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. It has no manurial value. 
One ton 5 cwt. of the material had been purchased from Mr. 
William Hammond, sand and manure merchant, of 63 Weedon 
Street, Carbrook, Sheffield, at 30s. per ton ; but Mr. Glossop stated 
that though at the time of purchase the manure was represented to 
him to be damaged nitrate of soda, yet when the invoice came the 
description it bore was merely “ tillage.” The invoice, further, con- 
tained no statement (such as is required by the Fertilisers and 
Feeding Stuffs Act) of the fertilising ingredients guaranteed to be 
present in the manure. 
Nitrate of Soda Adulterated with Salt. 
2. Mr. William J. Graham, of Crepping Hall, Stutton, Suffolk, 
sent for analysis on July 20 a sample of nitrate of soda. 
