212 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JUNE, 
up in the soil, nitrogen of atmospheric manurings, 
to use for those crops which, like grain and tobacco, 
are active consumers of this element either of 
themselves or by the culture they require.” 
Loss and Gain of Nitrogen. 
In brief, nitrogen is the most valuable because 
the most scarce of all the ingredients of plant food, 
the immense stores of free nitrogen in the air are 
not available to plants because they can use it only 
when combined with other substances. But plants 
do seem to have the power to take some nitrogen 
compounds from the air by theirleaves ; clover and 
like large leaved plants seem to absorb more in 
this way than grain crops. The main supply of 
nitrogen to plants must come from the soil, and, 
to be useful to the plants, this nitrogen must be in 
available forms. In vegetable remains and manures 
it is in more or less available forms, and is gradually 
made more available. This change is facilitated 
by right manuring and tillage. At the same time 
the soil is continually gaining more or less nitrogen 
from the atmosphere, and is losing 
more or less by escape in a free 
state, entering into unavailable 
combinations, or, especially, by 
leaching off in drainage water.” 
Gain and Goss of Ollier Ele¬ 
ments of Plant Pood. 
Prof. Johnson continues : “ As 
to the other elements of plant food, 
lime, magnesia, potash, iron, sul¬ 
phuric acid, phosphoric acid, and 
chlorine, we know that they belong 
to the soil, and while they may be 
removed from our fields in the 
crops, or may some of them wash 
out of- the land in the drain water, 
they cannot return of themselves, 
but must be returned in the ma¬ 
nure we apply, unless the overflow 
of some water-course may chance 
to bring them back. Of the ele¬ 
ments just named, there are some 
which are especially liable to waste 
in drainage waters, or waste easily 
and rapidly, while others are prac¬ 
tically fixed. Lime and sulphuric 
acid, next to nitrates, are the sub¬ 
stances which water dissolves and 
removes most copiously from our 
fields.”_After citing some ana¬ 
lyses of drain waters, he continues : 
“ Phosphoric acid and potash, it is 
noticed, are found in but the 
minutest quantities in these drain 
waters. We need not fear, then, 
that these substances are wasting 
from our lands unless indeed they 
are over-manured and under-reten¬ 
tive. But lime and sulphuric acid 
wash out more freely, and hence, 
probably, one reason of the wide¬ 
spread advantage of gypsum as a 
fertilizer; it must be constantly 
applied to make up the constant 
loss of its elements.” 
Need of Move of the Knowledge 
that Comes from Investigation. 
Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, pot¬ 
ash, and the other ingredients of 
plant food, are very important 
things in agriculture. The farmers 
of the Eastern and Southern States 
have been buying, or will buy this 
season, a great many thousands of 
tons of artificial fertilizers. It is 
these ingredients that give such 
fertilizers their chief value. Ni¬ 
trogen is one of the most impor¬ 
tant, and is costing the buyers all 
the way from 15 to 50 cents per 
pound in our ordinary fertilizers, 
and a good deal more in some 
fraudulent articles. Much of it is 
applied where it is needed, is used 
economically and brings the most 
profitable results. Much is ill- 
applied, and hy wrong manage¬ 
ment will be lost. A great deal 
must be lost at best. But we 
need to learn how to obtain it at 
the lowest cost from home or 
from artificial supplies, how to 
employ it with the least waste, 
and how to realize the greatest 
product from its use. Most of the 
little definite knowledge we have 
TABLE 31. (.Corrected.) 
Far Calculating the Exhaustion of Soils bj Crops and Enriching by Manures, 
Average quantities of Water , Organic Matter, Ash, Nitrogen in Organic 
Matter and Potash, Lime, Phosphoric Acid, and other Ingredients in Ash. 
of Fresh (Green) and Air-dry Materials. 
A. —PLANTS. 
VEGETABLE MATE¬ 
RIALS. 
1,000 LBS. CONTAIN 
GRAIN AND STRAW. 
Wheat, grain. 
Wheat, straw. 
Rye, grain. 
Rye, straw. 
Oats, grain. 
Oats, straw. 
Indian Corn, grain. 
do. stalks and leaves.... 
Buckwheat, grain. 
Buckwheat, straw. 
Beans. •. 
Bean straw. 
Peas. 
Pea straw. 
HAY. 
Average Meadow Hay.... 
Timothy Hay. 
Red Clover Hay. 
Swedish Clover Hay. 
Lucerne (Alfalfa). 
GREEN CROPS. 
Young Grass. 
Timothy Grass. 
Fodder Rye. 
Fodder Corn. 
Red Clover in blossom... 
ROOTS (tubers) & TOPS. 
Potatoes, tubers. 
do. vines, nearly ripe... 
Turnips, roots. 
Turnips, tops. 
Bugar Beets, roots. 
Sugar Beets, tops. 
Carrots, roots. 
Carrots, tops. 
Hops, entire plant.. 
Hops, the cones_ 
Tobacco, leaves_ 
1 o 
*. 
INGREDIENTS 
OF 
ASH. 
£ 
Ill 
'3 
■§N 
II 
II 
’V, O r-v 
|s| 
u'g S 
■g.i! 
5-a £ 
•s 
Mineral Matt 
Ash, Derived 
ly from Soi 
Nitrogen in O 
ic Matter, Dt 
mostly from 
| I’otash. 
© 
Lime. 
©1 
1 
Phosphoric 
Acid. 
Sulphuric Aci 
Silica. 
lbs. 
its. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lb 8 
lbs. 
143 
840.1 
10.9 
20.8 
5.3 
0.4 
0.0 
2.0 
7.9 
0.1 
0.4 
141 
855.8 
46.1 
3.2 
6 3 
0.0 
2.7 
1.1 
2.2 
1.1 
31.2 
145 
837.4 
17.9 
17.0 
5.6 
0.3 
0.5 
2.1 
8.4 
0.2 
0.4 
154 
843.6 
40.5 
2.4 
7.8 
0.9 
3.5 
1.1 
2.1 
1.1 
22.9 
no 
840 8 
27.0 
19.2 
4.4 
0.0 
1.0 
1.9 
6.2 
0.4 
12.0 
141 
855.0 
40.4 
4.0 
8.9 
1.2 
3.0 
1.0 
1.9 
1.3 
19. G 
136 
848.0 
13.0 
16.0 
3.7 
0.2 
0.3 
2.0 
5.9 
0.2 
0.2 
140 
855.2 
41.9 
1.8 
9.6 
6.1 
4,1) 
2.0 
5.3 
1.2 
11.7 
141 
i844.0 
11.8 
11.4 
2.7 
0.7 
0.5 
1.5 
5.7 
0.2 
0.1 
100 
827.0 
51.7 
13 0 
21.2 
1.1 
9.5 
1.9 
6.1 
2.7 
2.9 
141 
818.2 
30.7 
10.8 
13.1 
0.1 
1.5 
2.2 
11.9 
0.8 
0.2 
180 
803.7 
43.9 
16.3 
18.5 
1.1 
9.8 
3.3 
3.2 
1.6 
3.2 
138 
820.2 
23.5 
35.8 
9.8 
0.2 
1 2 
1.9 
8.6 
0.8 
0.2 
143 
816.6 
41.0 
10.4 
10.1 
1.8 
16.2 
3.5 
3.5 
2.7 
3.0 
111 
811.8 
51.5 
14.2 
13.2 
2.3 
8.0 
3.3 
4.1 
2.4 
13.9 
143 
838.7 
62.1 
18.3 
20.1 
1.5 
4.5 
1.9 
7.2 
5.6 
1.8 22.1 
107 
811.7 
56.9 
21.3 
18.3 
1.2 20.0 
0.1 
1.7 
1.4 
167 
808.5 
39.7 
21.5 
11.0 
1.2 13.5 
5.0 
4.0 
1.6 
1.6 
107 
820.0 
62.1 
23.0 
15.3 
1.3 
26.2 
3.3 
5.5 
3.7 
3.8 
800 
191.4 
20.7 
5.6 
11.6 
0.4 
2.2 
0.0 
2.2 
0.8 
2.1 
700 
2D4.0 
21.6 
5.4 
7.4 
0.5 
1.6 
0.7 
2.5 
0.6 
7.7 
700 
295.7 
16.3 
4 3 
6.3 
0.1 
1,2 
0.5 
2.4 
0.2 
5.2 
800 
196.8 
12.0 
3.2 
1.3 
0.5 
1.0 
1.4 
1.3 
0.4 
1.7 
800 
191.7 
13.7 
5.3 
4.1 
0.3 
4.8 
1.5 
1.4 
0.4 
0.3 
750 
240.8 
9.4 
3.2 
5.7 
0.2 
0.2 
0.4 
1.6 
0.6 
0.2 
770 
225.1 
19.7 
4.9 
4.3 
0.4 
6.4 
3.3 
1.6 
0.9 
909 
89.2 
7.3 
1.8 
3.3 
0.7 
0.8 
0.8 
0.9 
0.8 
0.1 
898 
99.0 
11.9 
3.0 
2.8 
1.1 
3.9 
0.5 
0.9 
1 1 
0.5 
810 
182.4 
7.1 
1.6 
3.9 
0.7 
0.4 
0 5 
0.8 
0.3 
0.1 
897 
81.9 
18.1 
3.0 
2.8 
2.3 
0.9 
1.1 
1.2 
0.7 
0.2 
860 
137.9 
7.8 
2.1 
2.8 
1.7 
0.9 
0.4 
1.0 
0.5 
0.2 
808 
186.9 
26.0 
5.1 
2.9 
5.2 
8.5 
0.9 
1.2 
2.0 
2.9 
140 
778.0 
81.1 
9 
20.1 
2.8 
18.1 
6.4 
7.5 
3.7 
16.4 
120 
813.2 
66.8 
? 
23.0 
1.1 11.1 
3.7 
11 2 
2.4 
11.1 
180 
769.0 
151.0 
40.0 
30.3 
5.1 62.8 
17.7 
4.S 
5.8 13.5 
See explanations in present and previous articles. 
IS.—MANURES. 
£ 
OG 
INGREDIENTS OP ASH. 
FERTILIZING MATERI¬ 
ALS. 
1,000 (or 100) LBS. CONTAIN. 
| Water. 
| Organic Matte 
3 
? s 
■s e 
§ 
§ 
§ 
s 
Magnesia. 
Phosphoric 
Acid. 
Sulphuric 
Acid. 
Silica and 
Sand . 
Chlorine and 
Fluorine. 
ANIMAL EXCREMENTS. 
1,000 LBS. CONTAIN 
lbs. 
lbs. 
fts. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
Ibs. Ib6. 
R»S. 
ibs. 
Stabte manure, fresh. 
710 
246 
41.1 
4.5 
5.2 
1.5 
5.7 
1.4 
2.1 1.212.5 
1.5 
do. moderately rutted 
750 
192 
58.0 
5.0 
6.3 
1.9 
7.0 
1.8 
2.0 1.0 10.8 
1.9 
do. thoroughly rotted 
790 
145 
65.0 
5.8 
5.0 
1.3 
8.8 
1.8 
3.0 1.3 17.0 
1.0 
Dungheap liquor. 
982 
10.7 
1.5 
4.9 
1.0 
0.3 
0.1 
0.1 0.7 
0.2 
1.2 
Faeces, fresh. 
778 
198 
Z'J.y lo.o 
2.5 
1.6 
G.2 
3.6 
10.9 0.8 
1.9 
0.4 
Urine, human, fresh. 
963 
24 
13.5 
6.0 
2.0 
4.6 
0.2 
0.2 
1.7 0.1 
5.6 
Night soil, fresh. 
935 
51 
16.0 
7.0 
2.1 
3.8 
0.9 
0.6 
2.6 0.5 
0.2 
4.0 
COMMERCIAL FERTIL¬ 
IZERS. 100 LBS. CONTAIN 
Peruvian guano. 
14.8 
51.4 
85.8 13.0 
2.3 
1.4 
11.0 
1.2 
13.0; 1.0 
1.7 
1.3 
Dried blood. 
14.U 79.U 
7.0 11.7 
0.7 
0.6 
0.7 
U.l 
1.0 0.1 
2.1 
0.4 
PHOSPHATES. 
Bone-meal, average. 
6.0,33.3 
00.7 
3.8 
0.2 
0.3 31.3 
1.0 23.2 0.1 
3.5 
0.3 
Bone-meal,from solid parts 
5.031.5|63.5 
3.5 
0.1 
0.2 33.0 
1.0 25.2! 0.1 
3.0 
0.2 
do. from porous parts 
7.0 37.3 
55.7 
4.0 
0.2 
0.3 29.0 
1.0 20.0 0.1 
3.5 
°: 2 
Bone black, fresh. 
6.0 
10.0|84.0 
1.0 
0.1 
0.3 43.0 
1.1 32.0 0.4 
5.0 
Bone black, spent. 
10.0 
6.0 84.0 
0.5 
0.1 
0.2 87.0 
1.1 26.0 0.1 15.0 
.. 
0.0 
3.0,91.0 
0.3 
0.0 10.0 
1.2 35 4 0 4 
Baker guano.. 
10.0 
9.0,81.0 
6.5 
0.2 
1.241.5 
1.5 34.8! 1.5 
0.8 
0.8 
Jarvis guano. 
11.8 
8.2 80.0 
0.4 
0.4 
0.8 39.1 
0.5 20.0 18.0 
0.6 33.2 0.5 
0.5 
0.2 
N avassa Phosphates. 
2.6 
5.4,92.0 
0.1 
37.5 
5.0 
0.1 
SUPERPHOSPHATES. 
Rectified Peruvian guano.. 
10.0 
11.9 42.1 10.5 
2.0 
1.2 
9.5 
1.0 10.5 15 0 
1.5 
1.1 
Baker g’no, superp’sphated 
N avassa ‘‘ 
15.0 0.2 78.8 
0.3 
0.1 
0.8 25.9 
0.9 21.8 28.5 
0.9 
0.2 
15.0 
2.5 82.5 
? 17.0 
0.3 15.1 19.5 
2.3 
9 
Boneblack “ 
5.0 
8.0 
77.0 
6.3 
0.1 25.0 
0.7 10.2 21 n 
9.8 
Bone-meal “ 
13.0 23.8 
03.2 
2.0 
6.i 
0.2 22.4 
0.7 
10.6119.5 
2.5 
0.2 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Sulphate of Ammonia. 
4.0 
20.0 
0 5 
.. 58.0 
3.0 
1.4 
Nitrate of Soda. 
2.6 
15.5 
35.0 
0 2 
.. 0.7 
1.5 
1.7 
Blaster. 
20.0: .. 
80.0 
31.0 
0.1 
.. '11.0 
4.0 
Gas-Lime. 
7.0 
1.3 91.7 
6.1 
6.2 
01.5 
1.5 
.. 12.5 
3.0 
Sugar-house Scum. 
3-1.5 
21.5 41.0 
1.2 
0.2 
0.0 20.7 
0.3 
1.5! 0.3 
9.1 
0.1 
Ashes, Evergreen Trees... 
5.0 
5.0 90.0 
0.0 
2.0 35.0 
0.0 
4.5 1.6 
18.0 
0.8 
Ashes, Deciduous Trees... 
5.0 
5.0 90.0 
10.0 
2.5 
30.0 
5.0 
6.5 1.6 18.0 
0.3 
Leached Ashes.. 
20.0 
5.0 75.0 
2.5 
1.3 24.5 
2.5 
6.0 0.3 20 0 
Peat Ashes. 
5.0 
95.0 
1.5 
0.8 
9 
1.5 
0.6 1.3 
9 
6.2 
Anthracite Coal Ashes.... 
5.0 
5.0 90.0 
0.1 
0.1 
9 
3.0 
0.1 1 5.0 
9 
on these points has come to us by aid of the same in¬ 
strumentality that has told us of the existence of 
nitrogen, to wit, chemical experiment. What is true 
of nitrogen, is true of fertilizing materials generally. 
In proportion as we learn by accurate investigation 
how to obtain them cheapest and how to use them 
best, will farmiug become more profitable. To learn 
this we need men to make experiments, places for 
them to work, and means to work with. If the 
farmers of the country will make use of then- im¬ 
mense influence to support agricultural schools 
and establish agricultural experiment stations, the 
much desired end can be accomplished. 
Fraud in Fertilizers. 
Last fall a farmer from this vicinity came into 
our laboratory with a sample of a fertilizer which 
himself and neighbors had tried last season, with 
very poor results. In due time it was analyzed, 
and proved to be an extremely poor article, in fact, 
a very evident fraud. To be more certain of its 
character, a second sample was obtained from a lot 
purchased by another farmer in the neighborhood, 
and analyzed with similar results. The story 
which the parties tell is about this. In the spring 
of last year an agent called on them to sell a fertil¬ 
izer, showing them samples “ in little bottles, which 
upon opening had a strong smell of ammonia.” 
He called it the “ American Bone Fertilizer ,” and 
said that he had sold a good deal about Hart¬ 
ford at §60 per ton, but as he wanted to introduce 
it here he would let us have it for §55. He repre¬ 
sented it to be a “first-class superphosphate.” 
Both this man who was “Sub-agent,” and the 
“General Agent,” said that it was “better than 
Peruvian Guano.” One of the farmers “ tried a few 
bags, thinking that it would neither make nor break 
him,” another took a ton and a half, and so on. 
But they all had the same experience. One “ could 
not see that it was any better than the dust from 
the road ; ” another “ saw no effect from it,” and 
they “ will give their affidavits that they got no 
benefit from it at all.” 
The best superphosphates contain from 12 to 
over 20 per cent of phosphoric acid, of which from 
6 to 12 per cent or more is soluble. This contained 
a trifle over 2i per cent of which no appreciable 
quantity was soluble. A good quality of Peruvian 
guano will contain 8 per cent or more of nitrogen. 
This article contained 1 per cent. The best guanos 
and superphosphates contain from none to 8 per cent 
of sand, etc. This contained47.2per cent, or 947 lbs. 
to the ton. It has the appearance of salt-marsh muck 
mixed with sugar-house scum, the latter a material 
of little agricultural value, which is sold in New 
York, as I am informed, at §5 or thereabouts per 
ton. The estimated value was §8.23 per ton. That 
is to say, the valuable ingredients furnished by one 
ton of this fertilizer could have been bought for 
§8.23, or less, in any of the best phosphates, or 
bone manures, or guanos sold in the State. 
These facts are shown clearly in the table below. 
Eor explanations see April No. The Guano and 
Superphosphate are very good articles of their kind. 
Name -1 of Fertilizers. 
TnBle 3*3. 
Valuable Fertilizing Ingredients 
in 100 lbs. of Fertilizer. 
g-o 
Lbs. 
9.3i 
5.8 
21.7 
17.5 
gt§ 
JA-§ a* 
a,,N a. 
Nitrogen. 
Phosphoric Acid, Soluble. 
Phosphoric Acid, Insoluble.. 
Phosphoric Acid, Total. 
Sand, etc. . 
Estimated Commercial Value per Tou_$78.12 $42.87 $ 8 23 
Retail Price per Ton .j (.0.00 42.50 5f>.()0 
Cost of Plios. Acid,soluble per lb. in cts.. 13 ! 14Jf 
Costof Phos. Acid, insoluble per lb. incts 5 1-5 ti 40 
Cost of Nitrogen per ib. in cts.1 21 jg 1 23M 1 167 
Lbs. i Lbs. 
1.62! 1.03 
9.9 .none. 
4.1 2.0 
14.0 2.0 
3.6 | 47.2 
I am informed that upon learning the results of 
the analysis of the American Bone Fertilizer, the 
purchasers, wffio had not paid for the article, very 
justly refused to do so, one person saving eighty 
dollars thereby. As the sellers are liable to prose¬ 
cution and fine for violation of the State law, in 
offering a fertilizer for sale without a “ true state¬ 
ment of the analysis,” any suits for recovery of 
payment are hardly to be feared. 
Conn. Agricultural Experiment Station . Wesleyan Uni¬ 
versity, Middletown, Ct. 
