156 Annual Report for 1905 of the Consulting Chemist. 
This — excellent manure as it may have been for a barley 
crop, and though subject to a cash discount of 1?. per ton — - 
could not, even at a liberal valuation, be put at a higher figure 
than 4 1. 10s. a ton. No guarantee was given with it beyond 
the evasive one of containing “ not less than 10 per cent, of 
soluble phosphates, 1 per cent, of insoluble, and per cent, of 
nitrogen.” In this way the provisions of the Fertilisers and 
Feeding Stuffs Act, as at present in force, are evaded. But 
there will be always, I suppose, people who will continue to 
buy manures like this, at extravagantly high prices, and 
without any proper guarantee, especially when there is the 
added inducement of a prize for barley grown by the use of 
such a manure. 
4. Soot. 
Soot, whilst an excellent material, especially as a top- 
dressing for wheat on heavy land, is of very variable 
composition, and is very liable to be rendered inferior either 
by the circumstances under which it is produced or collected, 
or else by wilful adulteration. After experiencing, in my own 
case, at the Woburn Experimental Farm, the difficulty of 
getting soot of high quality, I received from members of the 
Society, for analysis, two samples of soot, the respective 
analyses of which were as 'follows : — 
A B 
Per cent. Per cent. 
Nitrogen ..... 2T9 3*72 
Equal to ammonia . . . 2*66 4*52 
Siliceous matter. . . . 51*36 19*34 
These both came from the same district and cost the same, 
but were of very different quality, “A” being composed, to the 
extent of fully one-half, of ashes and similar earthy refuse, 
whilst “B” was a sample of excellent quality and good value. 
5. Ground Lime. 
Much has been written about “ ground lime ” and the 
advantages of using it. As I have, however, before pointed 
out, this is very well, provided that the quality of the ground 
lime can be depended upon. A small dressing of ground lime, 
if good, will no doubt go further and act more quickly than a 
larger one of less finely divided lime ; but if one cannot depend 
upon the quality of the ground lime, the advantage is gone. 
As the result of my experience with samples of ground lime 
that have been sent to me for analysis, or which I have obtained 
for myself, I can only say that ground lime, in nine cases out 
of ten, is of decidedly inferior quality. The following examples 
are given in illustration : — 
