SPECIAL FERTILIZER NUMBER. 
Vol. LVII. No. 2512. 
NEW YORK, MARCH 19, 1898. 
$1 PER YEAR. 
THE “INSIDE” OF A BAG OF FERTILIZER. 
HOW NITROGEN, POTASH AND PHOSPHORIC 
ACID ARE CLASSIFIED. 
The True Value of a Valuation. 
Two weeks ago, on page 158, we discussed the “ valua¬ 
tion ” of a fertilizer, and the three forms of nitrogen 
which are classified by the chemist. When a man 
buys a horse, he is not satisfied to be told that the 
horse is sound, and weighs 1,200 pounds ; he wants to 
see that horse’s legs and back to get an idea about his 
speed. The way he holds his head shows something 
about his spirit, and the shape of his shoulders gives 
an idea about the load he can haul. 
So in buying a fertilizer, the chemist 
makes it easier for us to know what 
we are buying by dividing the nitro¬ 
gen into three grades so that we can 
figure it out. 
The bag pictured on this page will 
make it clearer. Nitrogen is the 
element that makes growth —gives 
the green, healthy color to plants. 
We picture it as a runner off for a 
race. If you wanted a man to run 
for the doctor when the baby had 
the croup, you would select the up¬ 
per man, who is free from incum¬ 
brance, and all ready to start. The 
second man has to stop and tie his 
shoe before he can start, therefore, 
he can’t expect to keep up with the 
first man. The lowest man has a 
heavy bag on his back. He is all 
right to deliver goods along the 
route—better than the others for 
such work—but not their equal in 
speed. 
This simple illustration, with what 
was said on page 158, gives a good 
idea of the difference between the 
three grades of nitrogen. When you 
see ‘"nitrates” mentioned, you will 
know that it means the nitrogen 
that is quickly available. It comes 
chiefly from nitrate of soda, and is 
like the swift runner or the fast 
horse. “ From ammonia salts,” 
means nitrogen from sulphate of 
ammonia. This is not quite ready 
to start, like the runner with shoe 
string untied, or a horse with a 
loose shoe. This ammonia must be 
made into nitrate before it can feed 
the plant. “Organic” nitrogen is 
that formed by any living growth 
like cotton-seed meal, bone, flesh, 
fish, blood, etc. This nitrogen must 
break away from its combination 
before it can act as plant food—just 
as the man must throw down his 
pack before he can run. Now a high- 
grade fertilizer should contain a fair 
proportion of each of these kinds of nitrogen. We 
must have both speed and staying power. A farmer 
might have nothing on the place but oxen, or big 
heavy horses. lie would get his work done, but a 
steady driving horse for the women-folks and a bicycle 
for the boys would add speed and ability to get around, 
that would surely benefit the family. In buying a 
fertilizer, we would avoid one that has too much of 
the whole amount taken from “ organic matter ”. You 
can see for yourself that quick-growing crops cannot 
wait for this man to get rid of his pack. Organic 
nitrogen will not be made available until hot weather, 
when the ground is warm. In our cold Springs, we 
must have nitrogen that is available at once, viz., 
nitrate and sulphate. 
We represent phosphoric acid as a strong, active 
man, all ready for a day’s work in the hay field. In¬ 
soluble phosphoric acid is like the same man asleep in 
the shade of a hay cock. His great muscles and his 
steady brain are of little use until you wake him up. 
You can waken insoluble phosphoric acid only by put¬ 
ting strong acids on it. The chemist gives us three 
grades of phosphoric acid, viz., “water soluble,” 
“ citrate soluble ” and “ insoluble ”. The first means 
phosphoric acid that will dissolve in water, like salt 
or sugar. “ Citrate soluble ” refers to the phosphoric 
acid which will not dissolve in water, but will when 
put in a weak vinegar. This weak vinegar is con¬ 
sidered about equal in strength to the acid which is 
secreted by the roots of the plants. These two classes 
are called “ available ”, since the plant can utilize 
them when in the soil. As a further illustration : 
Suppose a man owes you $500 which falls due and you 
demand a schedule of his assets. He has $200 in cash, 
$200 in good notes given by responsible men, and $500 
worth of furniture and clothing. The cash will repre¬ 
sent the "‘water soluble ”—it is always ready for use. 
The notes represent the “ citrate soluble ”—perfectly 
good and negotiable at the bank for about their face 
value after a little delay. The furniture, etc., are the in¬ 
soluble—of little present value to you, and not likely 
to bring anything like what it is worth at a forced 
sale. In buying high-grade fertilizers, you will be 
obliged to take more or less of this “ insoluble” phos¬ 
phoric acid. Look out that you don’t get too much of 
it—that would be like taking the furniture at a high 
valuation. You will see that the three forms of nitro¬ 
gen may, also, be compared with these three forms of 
property. 
Potash is the solid element of the fertilizer. He is 
well represented as a solid, substantial farmer, giving 
flavor and character to any neighborhood. There is 
a difference in value in the various 
forms of potash, also. Formerly, 
most of our potash was obtained 
from wood ashes ; now we use the 
“German potash salts” largely. 
These salts are taken from a mine 
in Germany. There are various 
forms, such as muriate, kainit, sul¬ 
phate, etc. Some of them, like 
muriate and kainit, contain more or 
less common salt. It is held by 
chemists that salt is injurious to the 
development of such crops as pota¬ 
toes, sugar beets, etc. The forms of 
potash that contain no salt will, it 
is claimed, give a higher flavor in 
fruits, more sugar in beets, and bet¬ 
ter quality in potatoes. The chem¬ 
ists, therefore, draw the line at salt— 
or rather at chlorine, which is the 
business part of salt. When you 
see “ as muriate ” printed on an an¬ 
alysis, you will know that a certain 
part of the potash is in that form— 
to which extent salt is present. We 
picture this “ muriate ” as the hired 
man who, while his master. Potash, 
is laying down the law about the 
great things he has done, goes out 
and throws salt on the crops. The 
chemists give potash free from salt 
or muriates, half a cent per pound 
extra value, but we have found the 
muriate the cheapest form of pot¬ 
ash, and excellent in every way for 
most crops. 
Many fertilizer analyses contain 
the words “equal to ammonia” 
printed on them. Ammonia is a 
compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, 
which latter is of no value as a fer¬ 
tilizer. Ammonia is bulkier than 
nitrogen, just as bread is bulkier 
than flour. In the fertilizer under 
discussion, there is 5 per cent, or 
100 pounds of nitrogen. This means 
a trifle over 6 per cent or 12134 
pounds of ammonia. The farmer 
must not make the mistake of sup¬ 
posing that 100 pounds of ammonia 
are worth as much as 100 pounds of nitrogen, because 
they are not. As will be seen below, the 100 pounds 
of nitrogen in this fertilizer are worth $13.90 or 13.9 
cents per pound. This nitrogen will make 12134 
pounds of ammonia, just as one pound of flour will 
make 24 ounces or more of bread. Thus the ammonia 
is worth only 11.4 cents. While many trade values 
are figured on the basis of ammonia, the safest plan is 
to reduce it down to nitrogen, and figure on that. 
Another statement often seen on a fertilizer bag is 
“equal to bone phosphate”. This often confuses a 
farmer, because it makes him think he is paying for 
more phosphoric acid than really is present “ Bone 
