l‘.

TEXAS HGRIOULTURHL EXPERIMENT STATIONS.”

BUIJIJETIN NO. 51.

Chemical Section-MAY, 1899—Field Crops and Horticulture.

“FERTILIZEBS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES”

With the New Law Controlling the
Sale of Fertilizers and Poisonous

Insecticides in the State.

POSTOFFICEZ
COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS 00., TEXAS.

 

J. J. PASTORIZA PRINTING at LITHO. c0.
HOUSTON, 1899.

[22]

llzXﬂS HGRIGULTURHL EXPERIMENT SBTHTIQNS.

CDFFICERS.

GOVERNING BOARD.

(BOARD OF DIRECTORS A. 8a M. COLLEGE.)

H0N. F. A. REICHARDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston.

HoN. W. R. CAVITT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryan.

HoN. F. P. HOLLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Da11as.

HoN. CHAS. ROGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Brownwood.

HoN. JEFF. J OHNSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Austin.

HoN. MARION SANSOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..» . . . . . . . . . . ..A1vara.do.

STATION STAFF.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE.

J. H. OoNNELL, M. Sc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Director.

H. H. HARRINGTON, M. Sc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chemist.

M. FRANCIS, D. V. M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veterinaria.n.

R. H. PRICE, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Horticu1turist.

B. C. PITTUcK, B. S. A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Agriculturist.

P. S. TILsoN, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associa.te Chemist.

H. NEss, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assista.nt Horticulturist.

W. C. MARTIN, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Chemist.

H. C. KYLE, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F0rema.n of Farm.

L. L. McINNIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Treasurer

J. G. HARRISON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Bookkeeper.

sUPERINTENDENT OF BEEVILLE STATION.
S. A. MCHENRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Beeville, Bee County.
N 0TE.—The main station is located on the grounds 0f the Agricultural and
Mechanical College in Brazos County. The postoﬁice address is COLLEGE

STATION, TEXAS. Reports from this station are sent to farmers of the
State upon application to the Director.

L23]

s‘   
1'7.
tat-t
TEXAS FERTILIZER AND POISONOUS
INSECTICIDE CONTROL.

BY THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE
TEXAS AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE.

Fertilizers and Fertilizer Analyses.

BY H. H. HARRINGTON.

INTRODUCTION.

The soil of this State is so rich, a large part of it being at the
same time prairie land, that the farmers of the State have not until
recently given any thought or attention t0 the use of fertilizers. It
has not really been necessary that they should do so, since the
cheapness of the land has always made it easy to supply one’s self
with a new farm, whenever the old one, that happened to be of
light land, should become worn or unproductive.

But with the settlement by orchardists and truck growers on the
coast lands of the state, and the necessary intensive methods for
this class of farming, the demands for fertilizers and their use have
received in the last few years a considerable amount of attention.
This attention has been materially increased by the rapidly devel-
oping industry of tobacco growing in the State. Indeed, it is the
tobacco growers that will in the near future create the largest de-
mand for high grade commercial fertilizers. Anticipating thisde-
mand, and as a means of protection, both to the farmer and the
honest dealer in commercial fertilizers, the following law has ust
been passed by the Legislature, and as will be seen, goes into eifect
at once.

A BILL.
To BE ENTITLED

An Act for the better protection of the farmer in the purchase of
commercial fertilizers, and commercial poisons used for destroy-
ing boll worms and other pests.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas:

SECTION 1. Before any commercial fertilizer or commercial poi-
son, or any chemical or mixture used as a commercial fertilizer or
commercial poison, such as London purple, arsenic, Paris-green or
any poison used for the purpose of destroying the boll worm or
other pests, is sold or offered for sale in this State, the manufactu-
rer, agent, importer or party who sells 0r offers it for sale, within
this State, shall deposit with the professor of chemistry of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College a sealed tin can, bottle or jar
containing not less than one pound of the fertilizer or commercial

[24]

c7805

25 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

poison offered for sale, with an aﬁidavitthat it is a fair sample
taken from several barrels, boxes, sacks, or from quantities in
larger bulk, of the article thus to be sold or offered for sale; pro-
vided the unmixed substances, cotton seed meal, land plaster salt,
ashes, lime, green sand marl, uncrushed bones and animal excre-
ments shall be exempt from the operation of this law.

SEC. 2. The manufacturer, importer, vendor or agent of any
commercial fertilizer or commercial poison as referred to in Section
1 of this chapter, shall pay annually to the treasurer of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College, an analysis fee of ﬁfteen dollars
for each and every fertilizer or commercial poison sold, exposed or
offered for sale within this State. Such payment shall be made at
the time the sample of fertilizer or commercial poison is submitted
to the professor of chemistry for analysis.

SEC. S. After the analysis fee has been paid, as provided for in
Section 2 of this chapter, it shall be the duty of the professor of
chemistry of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, to analyze
or to have analyzed under his direction, any sample of a commer-
cial fertilizer or commercial poison, in accordance with the require-
ments of the foregoing sections of this law. The professor of
chemistry shall print the result of such analysis in the form of a
label, which shall set forth the name of the manufacturer, the
brand of such fertilizer or commercial poison and the essential in-

redients contained in such fertilizer or commercial poison, viz.:

1. Available nitrogen and its equivalent in ammonia.

2. Soluable phosphoric acid : total available phosphoric acid.

3. Reverted phosphoric acid.

4. Total phosphoric acid.

5. Potash soluable in water.

This however, shall not preclude the professor of chemistry from
setting forth any other ingredient which the fertilizer may con-
tain. And he shall place upon each label the money value of such
fertilizer or commercial poison, computed from its composition as
he may determine. He shall furnish such labels in quantities of
500 or multiple thereof at a cost of one dollar per hundred. The
money to be paid directly to the treasurer of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College.

Sno. 4. Every box, barrel, keg or other package or quantity
of commercial fertilizer or commercial poison (within the limita-
tions of Section 1 of this law) in any shape or form sold or offered
for sale in this State, shall have attached to it in a conspicuous
place the label as provided for in Section 3 of this law, with the
signature of the professor of chemistry attached.

Snc. 5. The professor of chemistry or any duly authorized
agent of his is hereby authorized to select from any package of
commercial fertilizer or commercial poison sold, or exposed for
sale in this State, a quantity not to exceed two pounds, for a sam-
ple to be used for the purpose of an oﬁicial analysis, and for com-
parison with the sample furnished by the manufacturer, agent or
vendor, for oﬂicial analysis. .

FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 26

SE0. 6. Any manufacturer, agent or vendor of any commercial
fertilizer or commercial poison, who shall offer or expose for sale
any such fertilizer or commercial poison, without having previously
complied with the provisions of this chapter, shall be ﬁned not less
than ﬁfty and not more than ﬁve hundred dollars, for each viola-
tion or evasion of this law.

SE0. 7. Any agriculturalist or farmer, a purchaser of any com-

-mercial fertilizer or commercial poison 1n this State, may take a

sample of the same under rules and regulations to be prescribed by
the professor of chemistry, of the Agricultural and Mechanical
College, and forward the same to him for analysis, which analysis
shall be made free of charge.

SE0. 8. The revenues accruing from analysis fees and sale of
labels, as provided for in this chapter shall be expended by the
board of directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College for
the maintenance of the chemical department and for such other
purposes as they may determine.

SE0. 9. A copy of the oﬂicial analysis of any fertilizer or com-
mercial poison or chemical certiﬁed to by the professor of chem-
istry shall be admissible as evidence in any court of this State, on
the trial of any issue involving the merits of said fertilizer or com-
mercial poison.

SE0. 10. Whereas, the fact that there is no law authorizing the
analysis of commercial fertilizers and commercial poisons, or the
testing of adulterated poison when used for the purpose of destroy-
ing the boll worm and other pests, and the better protection of the
farmer, creates an emergency, and an imperative public necessity
that the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three sev-
eral days be suspended, and that this act take effect and be in
force from and after its passage, and said rule is so suspended and
it is so enacted.

Attention is directed to the following conditions of the law:

1st. It includes not only the analysis of fertilizers, but also that
of commercial poisons sold as insecticides; having reference par-
ticularly to arsenical poisons used for this purpose. ~

2nd. It makes it the duty of the professor of chemistry of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College (who is at present ew-officio
chemist to the Experiment Station) to ﬁx a valuation for both the
fertilizers and poisons. .

3rd. It requires the manufacturer or dealer of fertilizers or
poisons to attach to every parcel or lot of either the one or the
other a certiﬁcate from the professor of chemistry, setting forth
the composition of the article and the commercial value. But this
does not preclude the dealer from selling at a lower price than the
valuation ﬁxed upon the basis of analysis.

4th. When the analysis of a particular brand of fertilizer or
poison has been made for any manufacturer or wholesale dealer in
these goods, the retail dealer or seller will not be required to have
the analysis of the same brand duplicated. The retail dealer will

2.7. TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

be required, however, to attach to each lot or parcel oﬁered for
sale a certiﬁcate of analysis from the professor of chemistry.

5th. According to Section 7 of the law any farmer 0r agricul-
turist, who buys a fertilizer or arsenical insecticide, may send a
sample of the same to the College and have it analyzed free of
charge, under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the pro-
fessor of chemistry. -

For the information of farmers, I here print the regulations
governing such free analysis. These regulations will be printed
separately in blank form, and supplied free of charge to farmers
who may wish to submit samples for analysis as provided for in
Section 7. .

REGULATIONS FOR FARMERS."

Farmers sending samples of fertilizers or arsenical poisons, such
as London purple, Paris-green, white arsenic or any poison used
for destroying the cotton worm or other insect pests, according to
the terms of the law passed by the Legislature of Texas, March 16,
1899, will please ﬁll out and send the following blank by mail to
the professor of chemistry, College Station, Texas.

I hereby certify that the sample of fertilizer (or poison) known
and sold as

(Name of Brand)

was bought by me of
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Texas

(Dealer’s name and address)
. . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
and that it represents fairly the quality of the fertilizer (or poison)
delivered to me.

It is sold at $ . . . . . . . . . . . . .per ton, cash, or . . . . . . . . . . . . .cents
per pound.
Sign . _ _ _ . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 . . .
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I hereby certify that I witnessed, as a disinterested party, the
taking of the above named sample by Mr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
and I believe it represents fairly the goods bought by him.
a Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 189. . .

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 28

THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF A GOMMERGIAL FERTILIZER.

Most agricultural soils, if not all of them contain a sufficient
quantity of plant food for the growth 0f crops, except the elements
potassium, or “ potash,” phosphorus, or “ phoshoric acid,” and
nitrogen. Sometimes lime and other ingredients of the soil are
lacking; but these are never of suﬁicient importance or scarcity to
justify their purchase. They can usually be had for the mere labor
of their application. A commercial fertilizer must depend then
for its value upon the amounts and condition or form, of the pot-
ash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen which it contains.

SOURCES OF POTASH.

Formerly wood ashes was the most abundant source of potash.
It is present there as the carbonate——-a particularly desirable form
for many crops. And it may be said here that the ashes contain
also some phosphoric acid and incidentally a large amount of lime,
as the carbonate. But while wood ashes are as valuable as ever,
and still used when they can be obtained, the demand is entirely
beyond the supply. The principal supply of potash at the present
time comes from the Stassfurt Jllines in Germany. The chloride
(muriate) of potash, and the sulphate of potash are found there in
inexhaustable quantities; but not in the pure state. The potash
salts are in chemical combination in varying amounts with soda,
lime and magnesia salts. But from these potash minerals, as they
occur in the native state, namely, kainit, carnallit, lcieserit and
sylvinit, are manufactured commercial chemical salts, containing
varying amounts of potash, either as the sulphate or as the chloride
muriate. The amount of potassium sulphate in these chemical salts
may be as much as 50 to 90 to 97 per cent., while the amount ‘of
potassium chloride may run from 25 to 92 per cent. in the various
commercial muriates offered for sale by the German Kali Works
00., who have control of the Stassfurt Mines.

Of the natural mineral products as obtained from the mines
Kainit is the only one used to any great extent as a fertilizer in the

' South. It contains about 21 1-2 per cent potassium sulphate, and

about 2 per cent. of potassium chloride.

Another important source of potash to the Southern farmer
especially is cotton seed meal. It contains on an average 1 3-4 per
cent; of potash; equivalent to 3 1-4 per cent. of the sulphate of
potash, or to 2 3-4 per cent. of the muriate. Cotton seed hull ashes
were formerly a very important source of potash, being present in
a most desirable form (the carbonate) and sold at a very low price.
They contain, besides, a considerable amount of phosphoric acid.
They were at one time shipped all the way from Texas to the New
England soap manufacturers, so cheap was the potash in this form.
But the discovery of the valuable feeding qualities of the hulls has
converted them from a fuel to a commercial feed stuff and the

29 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

ashes are now rarely obtainable. We have analyzed two samples
during the past year. They are believed to be especially desirable
for tobacco and for Irish potatoes.

SOURCES OF PHOSPHORIG ACID.

Most of our phosphoric acid in this country comes from phos-
phate deposits in South Carolina and Florida. These phosphate
rocks are essentially the phosphate of lime. As they exist in this
condition they are insoluble in water, and in the acid juices exuded
from the roots of plants. They are slowly soluble in the soil, after
having been taken up and ground into a ﬁne ﬂour (phosphate
floats). But even ~then their eifects on the soil is stretched over
several years. To make the phosphate rocks quickly available to
the plant it is treated with sulphuric acid, (oil of vitriol). The
product of this treatment is known as acid phosphate. Sometimes,
instead of taking the native phosphate rock, ﬁne bones, or those
charred into bone black or burnt to bone ash are treated with sul-
phuric acid ; the product is then known as a superphosphate or dis-
solved bone. If it is pure bones, which are treated with sulphuric
acid, we have in the dissolved bone 3 to 5 per cent. of ammonia.
If ammonia in any form is added to a superphosphate, it is then
called an ammoniated superphosphate and generally contains pot-
ash in addition. Wood ashes contain about 2 per cent. of phos-
phoric acid, although they are as mentioned, a potash fertilizer.
Cotton seed meal is a very important source of phosphoric acid,
containing on an average about 3 per cent.

SOURCES OF NITROGEN.

Nitrogen is the most costly element of plant food. We may
classify it 1st, as mineral nitrogen, such as nitrate of soda or
potash, and sulphate of ammonia. _ 2d, as organic nitrogen ; and
this may be divided again into vegetable nitrogen and animal nitro-
gen. Vegetable nitrogen is found in cotton seed meal, linseed meal
and castor bean pomace. Animal nitrogen occurs in ﬁsh scrap,

tankage, dried blood, guano, raw bone, and natural manures.

IN WHAT FORMS ARE POTASH, PHOSPHORIC ACID AND NITROGEN USED 

Potash usually comes into the market as the chloride of potash
(muriate), as the sulphate, either nearly pure or as the Stassfurt
salt, Kainit, which contains about 12 to 14 per cent. of the oxide of
potash. It may come as the carbonate of potash in wood ashes or
cotton seed hull ashes, or as organic potash as in cotton seed meal.

Phosphoric acid, as already stated, comes as the phosphate of lime.
But there are three forms of this. One form as it exists in the
original phosphate rock, if in the coarse mineral, ‘may be consid-
ered as entirely insoluble in water. If the rock is ﬁnely ground to

FERTILIZEBS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 30

a ﬂour, it is then only slowly soluble. But when treated with sul-
phuric acid most of this phosphoric acid becomes soluble in water.
But it does not entirely remain soluble. It “reverts” as it is called
and goes back to an intermediate stage between the water soluble
phosphoric acid and the insoluble phosphoric acid. That is to say,
that while this portion is not soluble in water, it is believed to be
available to the plant in the course of a season’s growth. It is
supposed to be taken up either by the acid ‘uices exuded from the
plant rootlets, or by the water of the soil liolding in solution car-
bonic acid gas. We measure the amount of this “reverted” phos-
phoric acid contained in the acid phosphate or superphosphate by
the solubility of the fertilizer in a neutral solution of ammonia
citrate.

Mtrogen, when used as a nitrate, comes almost entirely as the
nitrate of soda.

In the organic form, or as ammonia, it may come with raw bone
meal, tankage, cotton seed meal, bat guano, ammoniated super-
phosphate, etc., associated with phosphoric acid alone, or with this
and potash.

A COMPLETE FERTILIZER.

By this is meant a fertilizer which contains all three of the ingre-

‘dients, potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen or ammonia. On some

soils and even on the same soils for diﬁerent crops, all these ingre-
dients may not be needed. As a rule any particular soil will need
some one of these ingredients in greater quantity than it needs the
others, and yet most soils will be in a measure beneﬁtted by the
application of a complete fertilizer.

CLAY SOILS

As a rule contain suﬂicient potash. They may need either phos-
phoric acid or nitrogen, and will usually be beneﬁtted by both.

Bone meal is usually a very eﬂicient- fertilizer on such a soil. It
supplies not only phosphoric acid and potash but the phosphoric
acid is in combination with lime, which frequently exerts a most
beneﬁcial mechanical effect on the soil. Acid phosphate acts in
the same way, except it has no nitrogen. This can frequently be
applied with advantage in the form of heavy dressings of barn
yard manure. Both the lime in the acid phosphate and the organic
matter of the manure exert a very beneﬁcial mechanical effect on
the soil.

THE AVERAGE SANDY SOILS

are deﬁcient in all three fertilizing ingredients. Not only should
there be a supply of these chemical substances but it is usually
necessary to add organic matter to the soil. This may be done
either by turning under green crops, such as pea vines or some of
the clovers, or by heavy dressings of barn yard manure. By a

31 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

systematic method of rotation and pasturage together with the use
of commercial fertilizers such a soil may be brought to a high state
of productiveness.

ALLUVIAL SOILS

are nearly always fertile and usually regarded as suﬂiciently so as
to not need the application 0f any fertilizer. In some cases, how-
ever, when there is an excess of organic matter, the simple appli-
cation of lime will be beneﬁcial, especially if the soil has a consid-
erable amount of clay in it. The lime will unlock the inert nitro-
gen and favorably affect the clay. As a rule an acid phosphate,
containing some potash, would give the best results.

HOW THE VALUE OF A FERTILIZER IS DETERMINED BY ANAL-
YSIS.

The amount of potash is estimated and valued as the oxide of
potash. The phosphoric acid is estimated in three different forms:
1st. Soluble phosphoric acid, meaning that which is soluble in cold
water. 2nd. Reverted phosphoric acid, meaning that which is
soluble in a neutral solution of ammonium citrate. These two
added together make the available phosphoric acid. 3rd The
total phosphoric acid.

Nitrogen is estimated both as Nitrogen and as its equivalent in
ammonia. For the present we shall use the following ﬁgures in
in calculating the relative commercial and "fertilizing value of a
ton of fertilizer: A

Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 cents per pound
Available phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 cents per pound
Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 cents per pound

The value of a fertilizer after its analysis is made is determined
in this way: Suppose it has

8.95 per cent. of phosphoric acid;

4.75 per cent. of potash;

4.13 of nitrogen;

This is eqivalent to saying that there are 8.95 pounds of phos-
phoric acid in every 100 pounds of the fertilizer.

4.75 pounds of potash. '

4.13 pounds of nitrogen.

Multiplying each of these by twenty will give us the number of
pounds in 20 hundred weight or 2000 pounds. Multiply this re-
sult by the value per pound of each ingredient and we have the
value per ton of the fertilizer:

8.95><20=179.00 poundsX 7=$12.53
4.73><20= 82.60 pounds><12= 9.91
4.75><20= 95.00 poundsX 5= 4.75

Total valuation per ton, $27.19

FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 32

This valuation is based on the price per ton at common railroad
points in the State. At other places more or less remote from
these centers, the price might increase as a result of increased
freight rates. Or if the fertilizer is sold in quantities under a ton,
it might be necessary t0 increase the price. This valuation is in-
tended only as a guide to the farmer. If a fertilizer is worth so
much in Galveston, Houston, Palestine, Oorsicana, Waco, Fort
Worth or Dallas, he can easily estimate what would be its in-
creased value to him in his locality.

The following fertilizers were analyzed before the fertilizer law
was passed, and are presented as an illustration of the composition
of some of the most common fertilizers now sold in the State.

BAT GUANO.*

Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.8 per cent.

Available phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.17 per cent.

Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.32 per cent.
Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . - .$24.47

This is a mixed or complete fertilizer and the ingredients are
easily available. A

PURE BONE MEAL.
No. 1 No. 2 No. 3

Total phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.97—18.10—25.6O
Total nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4.02-— 2.87-— 3.39
Equivalent to ammonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.88— 3.48— 4.11

Bone meal is a normal phosphate of lime. The ﬁrst is equivalent
to 41.41 per cent. of bone phosphate. The second 39.51 per cent.
of bone phosphate. The third to 55.88 per cent. To get the
amount of phosphoric acid in the given amount of bone meal mul-
tiply by the decimal 0.458, and to get the amount of bone meal to
which a given amount of phosphoric acid is equivalent multiply
by 2.183. Nitrogen is reduced to ammonia by multiplying by 1.215
or a given amount of ammonia is reduced to nitrogen by multiply-
ing by the decimal 0.823.

PHOSPHATE ROCK;
Phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27.1 per cent.

Equivalent to bone phosphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58.15 per cent.

The phosphoric acid of phosphate rock is practically insoluble
and fully available to the plant only after several years, even when
the rock is very ﬁnely ground.

‘Most of these analyses were made by Prof. P. S. Tilson.

33 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

SULPHATE OF AMMONIA.

Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20.7 per cent.
Equivalent to ammonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.15 per cent.

STOCK'YARD MANURE.

Total phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.58 per cent.

Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.7 3 per cent.

Equivalent to ammonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.10 per cent.

Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.84 per cent.

Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.40

This is from cattle fed on a mixture of cotton-seed meal and
hulls. It must be remembered that the practical value of barn
yard manure cannot be determined by analysis; and that it can
have no commercial rating. The large amount of organic matter
present, the diffusive power of its nitrogen in the soil, and espe-
cially its beneﬁcial inﬂuence on the mechanical condition of the
soil, give it a real value far above that shown by chemical analysis.

BONE MEAL NO. 4.

Moisture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . _ . . . . _ .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5 per cent.

Total phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.8 per cent.

Equivalent to bone phosphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56.93 per cent.

Total nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.28 per cent.

Equivalent to ammonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.98 per cent.

Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44.38

BAT GUANO AND BAT GUANO ASH.

Mixed in the proportion of one-third to two-thirds.

Total phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.7 7 per cent.

Total available phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.73 per cent.

Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.63 per cent.

Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.90 per cent.

Equivalent to ammonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.7 3 per cent.

Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.21

COTTON SEED HULL ASHES.

No. 1 No. 2

Phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 .4 — 6.80 per cent.
Potash . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00-23.04 per cent.
Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30.36—32.56

The potash in this form (the carbonate) should be especially
valuable on tobacco.

FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 34

TANKAGE.
Total phosphoric acid . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.02
Soluble phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.63
Total nitrogen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.94
Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47

This is refuse matter from the slaughter house and depends for
its value mainly upon the nitrogen which it contains. The fer-
tilizer consists of the ground scrap of bone and meat. The nitro-
gen in this sample is very much above the average.

KAINIT.

Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . 7.77 per cent.
Equivalent to sulphate of potash . . . . . . _ _ . . . . . . . . . 14.24 per cent.

Potash is converted into the sulphate by multiplying by 1.85;

' and reduced to the chloride by multiplying by 1.583. The amount

of Potash in the sulphate is obtained by multiplying the sulphate
by the decimal .541; and in the chloride or muriate by multiplying
by the decimal .632.

Besides the sulphate and the chloride of potassium which
Kainit contains, it has some 14 1-2 per cent. of magnesium sul-
phate, 12 1-2 per cent. of magnesium chloride, and 34 1-2 per cent.
of sodium chloride, common salt. Kainit has been used to a con-
siderable extent as a soil insecticide, and is regarded as a valuable
ingredient of home made composts. It has the power of absorbing
ammonia, and has therefore been recommended as a dressing for
the ﬂoor of stables, and as a covering for compost heaps. It is said
to be beneﬁcial to cotton leaf blight or cotton rust as occurring in
the older Gulf States, but it has failed here as a remedy for cotton
root rot.

ACID PHOSPHATE.

Total phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..16.1 per cent
Soluble phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12. per cent
Available phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..14.3 per cent
Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16.80

BARN-YARD MANURE.

Potash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 per cent
Phosphoric acid . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 per cent
Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.18 per cent

Valuation per ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.97

35 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS.

Theoretically, “the best depth to bury manure is to put it deep
enough that it may be kept damp by the capilary and hygroscopic
moisture of the soil ; while at the same time it should not be bur-
ied so deeply that the air cannot gain access to it.” This applies
to barn-yard manure and substances that are slow to decompose in
the soil. But most (commercial fertilizers readily undergo decom-
position. In a general way, easily soluble fertilizers may be sur-
face spread or applied very near the surface. Those a little less
soluble should be a little deeper, and the difﬁcultly soluble deepest
of all. In the same way the time of application will be inﬂuenced
by the solubility of the fertilizer. The more easily soluble class
can be applied much later to the crop than can the fertilizers that are
slow to undergo decomposition. In some oases it may be necessary,
or at least, desirable, to supply a crop with a fertilizer that will
steadily and continuously furnish food during the entire growth
of the crop.

Fertilizers containing free‘ acid, or those in a ﬁnely divided state
containing an excess of organic matter, should not be applied in
contact with the plant seed nor with young plants. If broadcast
upon a crop, they will frequently injure the foliage of the plant.

As a matter of economy, it is usually best to apply the fertilizer
in drills near the plant, or in hills in close proximity to the seed.
When easily soluble fertilizers are put on broadcast, much of the
plant food will either wash away or leach out of the soil before the
plant roots can reach it. At the same time, when the amount of
the fertilizer (plant food) is limited, it is best to feed the young
plant and secure a vigorous growth of roots at the start, enabling
the plant to better support itself from the unfertilized soil.

It must not be forgotten, however, that it is not within the power
of any man to place in the soil precisely that amount of plant food
needed by the plant during every day of its growth. There must
be an excess if one wants the largest crop returns. Market gard-
eners understand this, and make a soil so rich that any part of it
will supply any kind of a crop with an excess of food over and
above that actually required for the proper maturity of the plant.
Of course such a system could not be practiced with regular ﬁeld
crops.

WHAT KIND OF A FERTILIZER AND HOW MUCH SHALL BE AP-
PLIED TO A PARTICULAR SOIL.

This is one of the most important questions which every farmer
who uses a fertilizer at all, must ask himself. It is a question
which can only be answered in a general way. '

The opinion is still prevalent with many people that a chemist
can take a soil and, by analysis, tell precisely what must be applied
to that soil to supply the deﬁciences and to make the soil produce

FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER ANALYSES. 36

satisfactory crops. But, as a matter of fact, the plant is more deli-
cate or sensitive than the crucible and scales of the chemist. The
small, almost inﬁnitesimal‘, weight of plant food might escape the
delicate touch and careful methods of the chemist and still be suf-
ﬁcient to tide the plant over a period of famine, brought on by a
period of drouth or other abnormal conditions.

Besides the mere chemical composition of the soil there are many
other vital conditions inﬂuencing plant growth. Almost any soil,
except barren sand, has sufﬁcient plant food for the development
of an average crop. Provided, the soil is kept loose and porous by
proper cultivation, and the amount of moisture is regulated to the
needs of the plant. Another diﬂiculty which the chemist meets in
analysis, is to tell just how much of an insoluble substance in the
soil may in time become soluble for the plant. We may say, then,
that there are four conditions inﬂuencing the growth of the crop:

1st. The available or soluble plant food in the soil.

2nd. The natural nzechanical condition of the soil. That is,
how much gravel, coarse sand, ﬁne sand, clay, silt, and organic
matter the soil contains.

3rd. The artificial mechanical condition into which the soil
is put; cultivation. ~

4th. The regulation of the moisture, or water, in the soil; for
best results it must not be allowed to become too dry or too wet.

While the chemist cannot determine accurately the ﬁrst two
conditions, he can at the same time, by giving a chemical and me-
chanical analysis of the soil, be of great service; and, in some par-
ticular instances, supply exactly the information needed. So that
while the analysis of a soil is not conclusive, it is, in most cases, an
aid; and year after year, the investigation of the chemist on the
soil is becoming of more and more value. The best method of de-
ciding the fertilizer needed by the soil is by

FIELD EXPERIMENTS.

The advantage of these to the farmer is also limited. To be of
a material value to him, they must be conducted on his own farm,
or a farm as near his as possible, where the character of the soil is
the same, and the climatic conditions not widely different. Field
experiments which I might conduct on a light, sandy or a black
waxy soil would be of little value to you, therefore, on your loamy
soil, even if only two miles away. So that each farmer should de-
termine for himself the fertilizers best suited for his land and his
crops, unless, indeed, his neighbor has determined this for him. In
a general way, clay soils are of enduring fertility; not because of
any excessive natural fertility, but mainly because they do not
wash, nor allow the water to leach from them, the plant food
which they contain. ' It has been mentioned that potash is charac-
teristic of clay soils, nitrogen of black alluvial soils, that is, soils
containing an excess of organic matter. But phosphoric acid, at

37 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.

least in excessive amounts, is not a characteristic constituent of
any class 0f soils. Unless, indeed, it is a soil containing an abund-
ance of shells in a state of decomposition. With‘ this general
knowledge a farmer must suit the fertilizer t0 his crop and to his
soil. The best way to do this is to use at the start a complete fer-
tilizer, that is, one containing potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen
—-on a loamy or sandy soil. Phosphoric acid and nitrogen on a
clay soil. The quantity will vary in a general way from 100
pounds to 300 pounds of acid phosphate; 200 to 500 pounds of
Kainit; 100 to 200 sodium nitrate; or the equivalent of these in
per centages of phosphoric aid, potash and nitrogen of other fer-
tilizers. After the ﬁrst year’s trial, the farmer can vary the kind
and quantity of the fertilizers to suit his conditions.

PARISMGREEN, LONDON=PURPLE, WHITE
ARSENIC.

According t0 the terms of the law (see page 24), any arsenical
preparation or other poison “used for the purpose of destroying
the boll worm” must be analyzed here, and its valuation ﬁxed.
There will be no attempt to ﬁx a constant valuation for these, but
t0 regulate their purity, and to be guided in price by the market
ﬂuctuations. Paris-green is an arsenite of copper, together with a
little of the acetate. It varies considerably in its composition, as
there are several different commercial ways of making it. It
should, however, contain not less than 50 per cent. of “white ar-
senic;” arsenious acid. If it does contain this amount, it may be
regarded as pure; if anything under this, it may be regarded as
impure; While the analysis will show the degree of impurity.

London-Purple is a waste product obtained in the manufacture
of analine dyes, andis essentially the arsenite of calcium. It va-
ries, however, very widely in composition, and its analysis is much
more important to the consumer than is the analysis of Paris-green,
with its comparatively constant composition when unadulterated.
It can usually be had for about one half the price of Paris-green.

Much of the arsenic which it contains is soluble in water and this
accounts for its well known burning effect upon foliage. Because
of this effect, it is much less used on the cotton plant than is Paris-
green. But by mixing the London-Purple with lime, its caustic
effect on foliage, is said to be very much lessened. In composition
it is said to vary from 30 to over 5O per cent. of arsenic, even when
not purposely adulterated.

YVHITE ARSENIC OR ARSENIOUS ACID.

If this were commercially pure, it would contain about 95 per
cent. of arsenic. But it is seldom pure, and the samples which we
have analyzed have run from 62 to 68 per cent. of arsenic. It is
sometimes used when Paris-green cannot be obtained for the des-
truction of the cotton worm; but it is thought by practical men
not to be so effective in killing the worm and at the same time more
dangerous to the cotton. A mixture with lime is believed to lessen
its burning effects on plant foliage.

133i

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