Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-21

which is called by some Norwegian
nitrate of lime. AS this same ma
terial is made in a limited way IN
the United States and extensively IN
many of the European countries.
there is no reason why the use OF
Norwegian nitrate of lime should be
continued. Nitrate of lime answers
every purpose, in so far as ,he no
menclature is concerned. This is not
a new product, in the sense of its
having been recently developed. Nj
trate of lime has been manufactured
in a commercial way since 1904. we
heard little of it during the war
because there was such demand FOR
this material abroad, and shipping
facilities were too limited on &C
count of the submarine depredatlons
to permit of it's wide transportation
and distribution. At the close OF the
war, however, the nitrate plants oe-
veloped in Europe for the manutac-
ture Of this material found them
selves with large equipment at their
disposal and large supplies of this
element on their hands. They, there
fore, have had to- seek market Tor
their product and naturally the
United States has been selected as a
field for the widest possible exploit
tation.
Nitrate of lime is a product of the
electrical furnace. 1t can be manu-
featured cheaply where there is a
s,lper-abundance of water power,
and, of course, Norway is fortunate
in this respect, due to the large num-
Der Of rivers which rise in the hllly
country adjacent to the sea, ana
make a precipitous fall into the
ocean. This material is manutac-
tured by passing air over an cleo
trjcal arc and then combining the
nitrogen which is freed in this man
ner with lime. When this is done
calcium nitrate is obtained. IL
is a very desirable and efficient
form in which to apply this element
to plants. A good grade Of this ma
terial shows about rs per cent CT
calcium nitrate. 1t, therefore, con-
tains about 10 per cent Of available
nitrogen, as compared with 1873 per
cent in nitrate Of soda. The am
monium content Of calcium nitrate
is 1873 per cent. This nitrate Of
lime is very soluble in water, 978
per cent of it dissolving readily. The
nitrate it contains is directly avail
able as food to plants, and so it can
be readily absorbed by the fine root
lets through which the crop is fed.
This makes it a material Which is
very satisfactory to use for top
dressing, as it gives as quick results
as can be obtained from any other
carrier of nitrogen.
Nitrate of lime differs from nj
trate of soda in the respect that it
has lime for base, whereas the lat
ter has soda for base. Lime is con-
sidered to be Of more service 10
growing crops than soda, so it has
an advantage in that respect. 1t,
Of course, contains about rs to D
per cent less nitrogen per 100 pounds
than nitrate of soda. so that any ad.
vantages it might possess in one re-
spect are offset in one way by the
greater amount Of nitrogen which
nitrate of soda, carries. In choos-
ing between these two elements the
point to be considered is the rela-
tive cost of a pound of available
plant food. I would be governed al
most exclusively in purchasing either
one. on the basis indicated.
Like nitrate OF soda, nitrate OF
lime draws moisture readily from
the air. 1t can, therefore, be broad
casted even upon a dry soil, and will
1t. can certainly be used with adj
vantage as top dressing, even in
relatively dry season. Most fer
tilizers have to be incorporated with
the soil in order to become active.
This is not necessarily true Of nj
trates of lime, though there may be
occasions when it might be mixed
with the soil with beneficial results
There is no reason why it should
not be incorporated with a mixed
fertilizer with advantage. Nitrate
of lime conserves the soil supply Of
Time to some, extent. 1t supplies
this element to some crops which
need it, and it may furnish it to
soils which are almost entirely lack
ing in lime. These. are distinct ad-
:vantages which this material pos
sesses. For instance, many of our
soils in the south are acid, and it