Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 083
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| Year | 1940 |
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154 ANALYSES FOR MEMBERS DURING 1939. By Dr J. F. TOCHER, Aberdeen, Analyst to the Society. THE samples analysed during 1939 included the common fertilisers, feeding-stuffs, waters, milks, stomach contents for poisons, feeding-stuffs for poisons, and some samples of an unusual character. FERTILISERS. By far the greatest number of fertilisers examined were compound fertilisers. The others examined included super- phosphate, basic slag, ground and shell lime, potash, and miscellaneous samples, including hop manures. I have fOund that over a number of years the proportions of compound fertilisers used are for turnips, 40 per cent ; for cereals, 30 per cent; for potatoes, 15 per cent; and for grass, 15 per cent. All the samples of compound fertilisers analysed were found to conform to the guarantees given. This year a large number of samples was unspecified, but potato fertilisers head the list. Here are five typical examples :— TABLE I.—POTATO FERTILISERS. N o. Nitrogen. S°k£g?s' Insfléigéos' Potash. l 8'64 7'04: 1'67 7'84 2 8'66 7'01 1'21 9'40 3 8'65 7-07 I 1'72 7'71 4 8'72 7'11 1'01 9'21 5 5'03 6'52 2'09 9'92 Complete analyses were made of two samples labelled “ Shell Lime,” with the undernoted results :— TABLE II . Calcium No. (C (fiddle; ) nggfgggyéén Silicates. Iron,&c. Carbonates. Water. nus c me. ' 1 60-50 0-66 9-98 3-30 7-36 Calcium Hydroxide (Slaked Lime). 2 4003 0'32 3'45 220 24-50 29-60 ANALYSES FOR MEMBERS DURING 1939. 155 The results of sample N0. 1 show it to be a genuine sample 0f shell lime. No. 2 contained 295 per cent of water, and it is evident the lime had been slaked. The sample contained too high a proportion of carbonates for a shell lime. The proportions of calcium oxide (caustic lime) found in samples of ground lime and shell lime were as follows :— TABLE III. No. Caustic Lime. No. Caustic Lime. 1 77-62 5 . . . 8525 2 6988 6 . . . 91-93 3 83-75 7 . 85'54 4 76-75 From the above it will be seen that the proportions of caustic lime varied from 69 to 92 per cent, due to the source of the lime. A sample of slag was found to be finely ground, 8850 per cent of the powder passing through the standard sieve. The total phosphoric acid was found to be 1570 per cent, of which 15 per cent was citric soluble. The superphosphate was found to contain 19-18 per cent soluble phosphoric acid. The hop manures contained very small proportions of fertilis'mg constituents, but high percentages of organic matter, varying from 52 to 60 per cent. The average proportions of fertilising constituents were nitrogen, 120 per cent ; soluble phosphoric acid, 0'5 per cent; and potash, 1'0 per cent. The samples Were, therefore, low in ordinary fertilising constituents, but contained high proportions of humus which was valuable to the soil to which the material was applied. The average composition of the compound fertilisers analysed was found to be 511 per cent nitrogen ; 6-97 per cent soluble phosphoric acid; 3-51 per cent insoluble phosphoric acid; and 7 '21 per cent potash. The proportion of nitrogen varied from 2-0 to 87 per cent ; soluble phosphoric acid varied from 3'8 to 107 per cent; insoluble phosphoric acid varied from 1-0 to 9-2 per cent; while the proportion of potash varied from 2-4 to 137 per cent. The following table (Table IV.) shows the results of analyses of samples of compound fertilisers analysed during the year. [TABLE IV. |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 083 |
