114 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
ers. Nitrate of potash manufactured 
from tobacco stems does not usually an¬ 
alyze as high as the imported article on 
account of the impurities in the shape of 
fine particles of tobacco that accompanies 
it. It could be made as pure as the im¬ 
ported goods by filtering and recrystalliz¬ 
ing but the increased price would not 
warrant the increased expense. The to¬ 
bacco contained in the nitrate of potash 
is not detrimental as a fertilizer conse¬ 
quently the manufacturers have no 
trouble in selling their entire output at 
a good price without going to the trouble 
of recrystallization. 
NITRATE OF SODA. 
Nitrate of soda is more largely used 
than any other form of commercial am- 
moniates because of the large quantity 
obtainable and the fact that the Chilian 
government several years ago instituted 
a nitrate of soda propaganda which has 
spread over the United States by adver¬ 
tising and otherwise, information in re¬ 
gard to the use of same. 
All the nitrate of soda used in fertiliz¬ 
ers and the arts comes from Chile al¬ 
though it has been reported at various 
times that nitrate has been found in other 
parts of the world. On the high elevated 
plateaus of Chile the nitrate of soda is 
found in beds varying from a few feet 
deep to 25 or 30 feet mixed with earth 
and other foreign material. The mining 
is a simple process of blasting the earth 
and sorting it out and hauling to the mills 
where it is run through the crusher and 
dissolved with boiling water in tanks. 
When the material reaches the desired 
temperature it is run off into huge vats 
where it crystallizes. It is then taken up 
from the evaporating pans and stored in 
immense piles where it is ready for sack¬ 
ing and shipment abroad. The nitrate of 
soda is left out uncovered and no ware¬ 
houses are built for its keeping. There 
is no fear from loss on account of rains 
or dews as it has never been known to 
rain on the plateaus and they are not 
troubled with dews. If the case had been 
the reverse Chile would not be giving us 
this valuable plant food because the rains 
would have dissolved it and carried it 
down and out to the sea. 
The use of nitrate of soda is increasing 
wonderfully and will continue to increase 
more and more as the people become fa¬ 
miliar with its value. In 1844 there was 
14,646 tons of nitrate of soda shipped 
from Chile and in the year 1903 there 
was 1,384,349 tons, the average increase 
being about 50,000 tons a year. 
There are two grades of nitrate of 
soda imported to the United States, one 
called the 95 per cent, goods and the 
other 96 per cent. The former is used 
more exclusively by the fertilizer trade 
while the latter is used in the arts and the 
manufacture of sulphuric acid. 
ANIMAL AMMONIATES. 
It was only a few years ago when the 
present forms of animal ammoniates were 
a waste product and it was a burden on 
the producer to get rid of same. Now it 
is a source of revenue that is adding not 
only wealth to the producer but aiding 
the farmer to add to his wealth. 
DRIED BLOOD. 
It is hardly necessary for me to go 
over the different stages that lead up to 
the separating and manufacture of dried 
blood, tankage, blood and bone, etc. 
The enormous amount of blood that 
comes from the slaughtered animals is 
now saved and is used as a source of 
