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held and declared b y the courts of the State to constitute a false and incorrect publishing and branding within the intent, purpose and meaning of this Act." I t is not necessary to discuss the features of this proposed measure to you who are familiar with the fertilizer business. If we should compile the different laws which have been enacted and the bills which have been proposed in the different states we would not only have an enormous volume, but it would appear that fertilizer manufacturers are about the most unscrupulous class engaged in business. I t is of course necessary to have adequate laws t o protect consumers and the legitimate manufacturers are heartily in favor of such legislation. With the years of legislation which have preceded, i t would appear necessary only to make some slight modifications from time t o time t o meet existing conditions, b u t our representatives seem t o have different views. The main question for this committee to consider is how to meet the conditions as they exist and see t h a t only such laws are enacted as will be impartial and protect both manufacturer and consumer. The question of National legislation has been proposed for the control of interstate business; i t is argued that this would serve as a model for the different states. The manufacturers, however, feel that it would have but little influence on the State legislatures and are, as a rule, opposed to National legislation. A committee appointed by the A. 0. A. C., who served for several years, compiled the provisions of an admirable law with a view of having a model for the different states, but so far as I know it has not been adopted by a single state. There is no possible way that I can see of getting a uniform law in all the different states; whatever is accomplished will have t o be brought about through the influence of the State Agricultural Departments. These departments are supported b y the manufacturing interests, and i t should be as much their duty t o assist and protect the manufacturer as it is the consumer. The state chemists probably understand the situation better than the other state officials and the manufacturers should have their support and I believe do in most isstances, but nevertheless nearly every time the legislature meets i t becomes necessary for the manufacturing interests t o appear before the legislative committees t o enter their protests against unreasonable legislation. The members of this division should co-operate with the Official Agricultural Chemists for the purpose of obtaining as far as possible some legislative enactments which relate t o the analysis and sale of commercial fertilizers. Another subject which is attracting the attention of fertilizer chemists a t the present time and which this division has already had under consideration is the probability of future legislation requiring a statement of Available Ammonia. This would need give us no concern if some chemical method could be devised which would give reliable and concordant results in the hands of different analysts on all classes
Mar., 1912
of ammoniates or even as desirable as the present method for the determination of Available Phosphoric h i d , but the methods now in use, it is generally admitted, do not fully meet the requirements. Inasmuch as there is still considerable uncertainty about the actual crop value of certain organic materials and the question of analysis presents difficulties which have not yet been overcome, it is t o be hoped that our law-makers will not attempt legislation in this direction. With the consumption of fertilizers increasing each year, unless the manufacturers are allowed some latitude in the use of organic materials the farmer will have t o pay more dearly per unit for such ammonia as he uses. Chemists have worked out processes whereby many waste nitrogenous materials have been rendered available and we, as fertilizer chemists, should continue this work until there are no waste nitrogenous products not utilized. There are still laws in some of the states prohibiting the use of leather and other similar materials, while i t is generally recognized that if properly treated these substances form valuable sources of nitrogen. Instead of prohibiting the use of certain materials, those in authority ought t o encourage the working out of methods whereby these materials could be used under certain limitations, if it is necessary t o put limitations on ammoniated materials. I wish to say in conclusion that the writer has, during the past year, had considerable correspondence with reference t o fertilizer legislation in some of the Southern States and has personally appeared before legislative committees upon several occasions ; the observations and information gained from these sources have formed t o a large extent the basis for the comments in this report. F. B. CARPENTER, Chairman.
COMMITTEE ON POTASH. FERTILIZER DIVISION.' The Potash Committee takes pleasure in reporting that the work which has been carried on b y them has been recognized by the A. 0. A. C. and the modification of the Official Method for Potash determination in mixed fertilizers has been adopted as official, which, according t o their constitution, must lay over one year. The modification is as follows: Weigh 2 . 5 grams onto 11 cm. filter and wash with small portions of water into 250 cc. flask to about z o o cc. of filtrate; add 2 cc. concentrated hydrochlori2, ammonia and ammonium oxalate, cool, make to mark, filter and proceed as usual. The committee this past six months has analyzed three samples of potash salts b y the Official Method for Potash salts and by the Official Method for mixed fertilizer. Some work was done a few years ago by the A. 0. A. C. and the referee recommended more work. In order to establish clearly to our own minds be1
1911.
Presented at the forty-fifthmeeting A. C. S . , Washington. December,
Mar., 1912
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y .
fore undertaking co-operative work, we worked on samples of Muriate, Sulfate and Kainit. Our results clearly show t h a t when impurities exist in sulfate there is a decided loss by using the official method for mixed fertilizer, this loss being 0 . 9 4 per cent. This sample of sulfate tests 48.12-48.154 8 . 2 0 potash b y Official Method for Potash salts. On the muriate which tested 5 2 per cent. there was very little loss. On the kainit scarcely any loss Mr. Baker, in commenting, says the following: “ T h e ignitions were made very carefully, and I a m certain t h a t the lower results were not due t o loss in burning. I note that the sulfate gave a precipitate with ammonia b u t none with ammonium oxalate. The muriate gave no precipitate with ammonia, but quite heavy precipitate with ammonium oxalate. Kainit-precipitate with ammonia, none with ammonium oxalate. “The sulfate did not behave properly with the Official Method. There were apparently impurities in the precipitate, and for this reason I believe the lower result t o be more accurate. “I did not note any particular differences in the precipitates of the muriate and kainit. The variation for the muriate is not much, and for the kainit practically none. I may say, however, t h a t in the past I have, upon other samples, obtained much greater differences. I think the indication is t h a t the use of ammonia and ammonium oxalate will produce more accurate results, b u t in order t o draw definite conclusions, it would seem to me t h a t more work should be done along this line.” Mr. Porter remarks: “ I regret t h a t we have not been able to do more work on this subject t o report a t this time. It has been our experience t h a t some muriates check by the two methods while others show more than two per cent. difference.” The same has been my experience. I n view of these facts i t seems t o the committee best to recommend further work and an effort be made t o have these facts recognized as it is a serious problem for the’manufacturer t o buy potash on one test and suffer such a loss when tested for in mixed goods. J. E. BRECKENRIDGE, Chairman.
COMMITTEE ON PHOSPHATE ROCK. FERTILIZER DIVISION.’
Work is being done on the molybdate method and the acetate method in the sub-committee on iron and alumina. I t is proposed, also, t o continue work on the determination of moisture and of total phosphoric acid and t o describe the procedure for these determinations very carefully. A recent letter from the Bureau of Standards states t h a t on account of press of other work, they have been obliged t o postpone further work on the sample of phosphate rock they were analyzing for the committee, b u t will return to i t as soon as possible.
Your committee desires, a t this time, merely t o report progress and ask to be continued. I t has seemed best not t o call for co-operative work until improvements in methods now under consideration have been brought into such shape t h a t the committee can confidently recommend them. ALFREDM. PETER,Chairman.
COMMITTEE ON NITROGEN. FERTILIZER DIVISION.’
Preliminary results of co-operative work on t h e analysis of a small sample of commercial nitrate of soda were reported a t the summer meeting a t Indianapolis, and this report was published in THISJ O U R N A L for October, 1911. In the meantime the committee has undertaken the preparation and standardization of a larger sample of commercial nitrate of soda. This sample is now ready t o be sent out, and it is expected that the results of co-operative work on this sample will be presented a t the coming summer meeting. PAULRUDNICK, Chairman.
COMMITTEE ON STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND METHODS OF ANALYSIS. INDUSTRIAL DIVISION.’
The Committee on Standard Specifications submits the following report of its work since the last meeting of the Society in Indianapolis, June, 1911. At t h a t time a report was submitted covering the progress of the nine sub-committees in charge of the preparation of specifications of the various materials under consideration. The sub-committees on Bleach and Solder had completed their work temporarily and submitted specifications which were embodied in the form recommended by your committee and presented in our report as Provisional Speci fications. The specifications for bleach have not been criticized b y the members of the Society during the period since the last meeting and we now believe t h a t they should be submitted to a number of the larger manufacturers for their criticism, after which we would recommend t h a t some action be taken b y the Division in regard t o them. The specifications for solder have been criticized and we have referred these criticisms back to the sub-committee. The sub-committee on Soda Ash have submitted data which will enable us t o prepare specifications for the two grades most commonly used. The sub-committee on Turpentine have considered the subject assigned t o them in a most creditable manner and have accumulated considerable data. More or less opposition t o specifications was encountered in the case of gum turpentine from the largest producers and sellers, but such a condition is in nowise different from t h a t met with in the case of many other products where the producer does not desire
Presented at the forty-fifth meeting A. C. S., Washington, December, 1911.
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Presented at the forty-fifth meeting A C. S.. Washington, December, 1911.
