1920.] Parky.—Nitrogenous Manures in New Zealand. 131 
The present demand for nitrogenous fertilizers being small and easily 
satisfied from natural sources, it remains to inquire into future prospects 
of an increased demand. This is, however, outside the scope of the 
present report, and in any case, assuming a large development in grain- 
production and a consequent big demand for nitrogenous fertilizers, it still 
remains a question as to whether artificial nitrogenous manures produced 
in the form contemplated can compete with Chile nitrate and other nitro¬ 
genous forms. 
Principal Sources of Nitrogenous Fertilizers. 
In order to readily appreciate the relative importance of the various 
nitrogenous fertilizers it is necessary to have regard to the world’s output 
and the use of the different fertilizers of the nitrogenous class. The 
world’s output in 1913 was as follows :— 
Metric Tons. 
Equivalent 
NaN0 3 . 
Equivalent 
Nitrogen. 
Per Cent, 
of Total 
Quantity. 
Chile saltpetre 
2,740,000 
2,740,000 
425,000 
65-0 
Ammonium sulphate 
1,365,000 
1,740,000 
270,000 
32-4 
Calcium cyanamide 
80,000 
81,000 
12,550 
1-9 
Calcium nitrate 
30,000 
24,650 
3,825 
. 0-7 
Totals 
4,215,000 
4,585,650 
711,375 
100-0 
On regarding the above table it will be seen that 65 per cent, of the 
world’s output of nitrogenous fertilizer is provided from the natural 
deposits of sodium nitrate in Chile ; 32‘4 per cent, is provided in the 
form of ammonium sulphate obtained as a by-product from illuminating- 
gas works and coke-ovens ; 1-9 per cent, is obtained in the form of calcium 
cyanamide prepared by passing atmospheric nitrogen over calcium carbide 
which is first formed in the electric furnace ; and 0-7 per cent, is obtained 
in the form of calcium nitrate obtained by the addition of nitric acid to 
limestone, the nitric acid being obtained in turn from nitrous oxides fixed 
by the electric arc. It will be seen that the proportion of nitrogenous 
fertilizer prepared and supplied by these two processes when added together 
only amounts to 2*6 per cent, of the whole of the world’s output. These 
processes, therefore, cannot be regarded as being of vital importance to 
the world in general from the point of view of the production of fertilizers, 
although they are of vital importance in other respects. 
Other methods of fixing atmospheric nitrogen have been developed in 
Germany since the outbreak of the war, but it is not known whether 
these processes can be profitably conducted for the production of fertilizers 
under normal conditions, 
Chile Nitrate. 
Sodium nitrate, or Chile nitrate, occurs mixed with sodium chloride, and 
in a lesser degree with sulphates of soda, lime, and magnesia, and nitrates 
of soda, potash, lime, and magnesia, together with some iodine compounds. 
The nitrates are separated by crystallization from the chlorides, and yield 
a commercial product which is 94 per cent, nitrate of soda. The output 
in 1913 amounted to 2,740,000 tons, and the demand for it is steadily 
increasing. In view of this an early depletion of the deposits has been 
