Ist. As has already been noted, soluble phosphoric acid should cost considerably less in the form of dissolved South Carolina rock than in dissolved bone black. Thus in New Jersey soluble phosphoric acid has cost about 6.2 cents per pound the present season in dissolved South Carolina Rock, while it has cost 71⁄2 cents in dissolved bone black. The Carolina Rock yields a lower grade article than bone black, averaging in composition about as follows:

Besides superphosphates, there are other sources of phosphoric acid which are well worth the attention of buyers of raw materials. Thomas-Slag has been used with success abroad, and field experiments made for this Station in this State have in certain cases at least given very satisfactory results. [The outcome of this year's experiments will be found in the latter part of this report.] Fine ground bone containing from 24-30 per cent. of phosphoric acid from 1.5-4.0 per cent. of nitrogen can be got for from $26-32 per ton; while bone black superphosphate, containing 17 per cent. of phosphoric acid and a small fraction of 1 per cent. of nitrogen costs $26.

2d. This year the cheapest sources of organic nitrogen have been caster pomace at $20 per ton and cotton seed meal at $25. While Nitrogen in Blood, Tankage and Fish costs from 16 to 17 cents per pound, in Castor Pomace and Cotton Seed Meal it costs only 12 to 14 cents. Occasionally car lots of Cotton Seed Meal are offered at even lower rates because damaged and "off color." If the dark meal is not mouldy or damp its value as a fertilizer is probably not less than that of the prime quality meal. Of course it is unsafe to use as a cattle food any but the best quality of meal. There is good reason to believe that the nitrogen of these vegetable products is equally efficacious as plant food with that of animal matter and therefore it would be well to consider these materials in purchasing nitrogen. Their composition is given on page 35.

3d. There should always be a clear understanding between the purchasers and sellers of fertilizing chemicals as to their guaranteed quality. We reprint for the information of those interested a form taken with slight alterations from a circular sent to dealers in fertilizing chemicals by a New Jersey grange, which may be convenient for use by granges and farmers' clubs in this State:

"Wanted: to buy the materials to make tons or more of fertilizer. The materials to consist of nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, acid phosphate, dissolved bone or bone black, fine ground bone, fine ground fish scrap, muriate of potash and sulphate of potash.

Station No.

Name.

As Nitrates.

ᎦᏙ

HOME-MADE FERTILIZERS, ANALYSES AND VALUATIONS.'

*

Ammonia.

Organic.

Found.

Calcu

lated.

Soluble.

Reverted.

Insoluble.

Found.

Calcu

lated.

Found.

Potash.

Calculated.

Chlorine.

Valuation per
Ton.

Cost of Chemicals [unmixed].

All materials to be in good mechanical condition; in good bags; to run even weights or be plainly marked what each bag contains net, and to be delivered at early in March next. All materials to be guaranteed to contain certain percentages of nitrogen, potash, or available phosphoric acid, as the case may be; one-half of the bill to be paid within ten days after receipt of goods; on the other half a credit of sixty days to be allowed, within which time samples will be sent to the Connecticut Experiment Station for analysis, and if there found to contain as large percentages as guaranteed the balance of bill will be paid within the sixty days, but if any are found to contain a less percentage than guaranteed, then a discount is to be allowed on the bill equal to the loss in money value caused by such deficiency for the first one per cent. or fraction thereof, and twice the loss in money value for all deficiencies in excess of one per cent., and balance of bill within the sixty days. Samples to be taken by a station agent or other disinterested party."

MISCELLANEOUS FERTILIZERS AND MANURES.

COTTON HULL ASHES.

2184. Sold by Charles L. Spencer, Suffield. Sampled and sent by C. M. Owen, Suffield.

2376. Sold by Charles L. Spencer, Suffield. Sampled and sent by Edmund Halladay, Suffield.

2198. Sold by J. E. Soper & Co., Boston. Sampled and sent by J. A. DuBon, Suffield.

2204. Sold by J. E. Soper & Co., Boston. Sampled and sent by H. W. Alford, Poquonock.

Reckoning soluble and reverted phosphoric acid as in mixed fertilizers and insoluble phosphoric acid at 2 cents per pound.

HARDWOOD, UNLEACHED CANADA ASHES.

2242. A sample sent by Austin Jennings, Green's Farms, from stock purchased of E. Jennings, Southport, contained 8.21 per cent. of potash and 1.96 per cent. of phosphoric acid. This is of excellent quality. It sold for 28 cents per bushel.

2393. Sent by T. A. Stanley, New Britain. Bought of Monroe, Judson & Stroup, Oswego, N. Y. Cost $14.00 per ton by the car load. The sample contained 1.43 per cent. of phosphoric acid, 5.69 per cent. of potash, and 17.12 per cent. of water. sample is of about average quality.

HARDWOOD ASHES FROM A BRICK-KILN.

This

2391. Sent by T. A. Stanley, New Britain. Cost nothing but the cartage, which was about $2.50 per ton.

When such ashes cost no more than this lot they may be worth a trial. They contain twice as much potash as leached ashes and are much drier.

TOBACCO STEMS AND TOBACCO DUST.

2232. St. Louis Tobacco Stems. Stock bought by Comstock, Ferre & Co., Wethersfield.

2298. Tobacco Stems and Bone Black. From Olds & Whipple, Hartford. This is a fine powder, having bone black added probably to prevent its use in smoking tobacco or snuff.

2237. Tobacco Dust. Stock bought by Comstock, Ferre & Co., of A. D. Cowan & Co., New York.

The sample of Tobacco Stems is of average quality. The Tobacco Dust contains 25.7 per cent. of sand and is of less value as a fertilizer than Tobacco Stems, while the price is almost three times as great. It is used by the purchaser rather as an insecticide than as a fertilizer.

HEN MANure.

2252. Hen Manure. Sampled and sent by F. H. Stadtmueller from farm of Beach & Co., West Hartford. Cost $15.00 per ton delivered.

The phosphoric acid, potash and nitrogen contained in a ton of this "Hen Manure" could be bought in the form of chemical fertilizers for about $6.00. Numerous analyses have been made at this Station of "Hen Manure" but the material has always been a mixture of hen dung with variable quantities of feathers, straw and earth scraped from the floor of the hennery. We have no analyses of the unmixed hen dung. The difference between the excrement of fowls and that of cattle of all sorts is that the former contains in solid form all the fertilizing material of the food except what is retained in the body for growth or goes into the eggs; while a very considerable portion of the fertilizing value of the food of cattle is excreted in liquid form and is easily lost even in the stalls or barnyard. It is easy to see then why the "dung" of fowls is a richer manure than that of cattle. That of the former contains both the urinary and bowel excretions, that of the latter consists largely of the undigested food, with what of the urine may have been absorbed and retained by it.