Farm & Garden.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10706, 31 August 1896, Page 4

Farm & Garden.

» TO FARMERS. ° e ® We shall he glad to receive contri buttons to this column from farmers and others interested. BLAST FURNACE SLAG AS A FERTILISER. TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— ln your issue of the 17th insfc. there is a letter on the above subject from some would-be clever person who thinks lie knows everything and I know nothing about the abovu subject, lie gives: — MB SMITH'S SLAG ENGLISH EQUIVACBMENT. LENT? . - per cent. per cent. lame 40 Total phosphoric Alumina h. ... 12 acid 19.98 Silica 42 Equal to tribaßio Magneßia 2 phosphoric of Manganese ... traces lime 43.63 Titanium „, ... i Inclusive of phos£°«vl*kU» 2 phoric soluble Alkalies 1 In citrate of amonia ... 8.47 100 Equal to tribaslo phosphate of ".me ia49 Free lime ... 47.93 ICO *' Chemicus, " having given the analyses of the two slags, goes oil to give the component parts of dissolved bones, and uses that in proof that my slag fertiliser has no value, aud I have no knowledge. Why, Sir, I have only to bring forward any question on iron or steel manufacture, cement manufacture, mining, harbour works, slag blocks, bricks, slag cement, or any matter pertaining to the establishment of industries, for some sleuth hound to be on my track trying to distort, condemn, and hold me up, if possible, to ridicule. My defence is that " Chemicus " gave the analysis of my slag as it left the bloat furnace, and not when it had been put through a Cheap chemical process, which works a chemical change on the Blags. I gave the analysis of the slag in the first stage, and not the second stage. "What a fool I would be to do so until I haye 1 protected it by letters patent. I know the value of the Basic slag is the phosphoric 'acid it contains. According to." Chemicus " slags from hematite are ©f no value as a fertiliser. I send you some \ correspondence on Hematite Slag Fertiliser.- This correspondence will answer for itself, as raj slag is much better than the Middlesborough. After you have published the same, I shall wait for a reply from " Chemicus, ' to hear what he has got to say about my statement that slag could be used with good results, and be sold at 15a per ton. We know that " Chemicus " means one who understands chemistry ; when you have published the English statements your readera will know that " Chemicus " is a chemist of the old school. I will give £10 to the Recreation Grounds if " Chemicus" will meet me on the public platform and prove my statement to be false on slag fertiliser*. Waiting your publication of this on the said correspondence. — I am, &c, E. Metcalf Smith, Metallurgical Engineer, and Patentee of a new and improved process for manufacturing Slag Fertilisers. P.S.- 1 would call ''Chemicus' " attention to a work called "Workshop Receitpa for Manufacturers, Mechanics, and Scientific Amateurs," G. 6. W. Lock, third series, for the use of slag cement, other , than Basic slag. The correspondence Mr Smith refers to is from theNormanby Ironworks Company Co. Ltd., of Middlesbrough, and gives full particulars of the Normanby Slag Manure. Accompanying the letter are printed circulars giving the approxinate analysis of the manure, a large number of testimonials showing that the manure is not only a powerful fertiliser and moss destroyer, but an insecticide, a preventative of disease in potatoes, and finger and toe in turnips, and rida the ground of slugs, worms, wireworm and injurious bacteria- It also increases the power of other manures when mixed with them, and assists germination to a very good extent, in all kinds of soil. Approximate Analysis, dried at 212" F. per cent. per cent. Lime 38.37 Lime 37.70 Chloride of Sodi- , - Chloride of Sodi- ' üm ... „. 9.61 urn ..*, , .;. 9.69 Alumina... , J .. 12.93 Alumina ..I ... 15.01 Silica 27.67 Silica, ... '... 30.20 Sulphate of Cal- - „. Calcium Sulph-. ,' » cuiia Sift ido , " 4.45 Sulphate of Lime -5.06' Magnesia...' ' ... 1.91 Magnesia...- „„ 2.90 Potaah ... ■„:. 0.30 Phosphoric Acid traces Protoxide of Man-. , • Ferric Acid, Pot-" 5 - ■ gtinese ' :./ '0.40 ash, <tc i ...traces 1 Protoxide of Iron 0.26 Phosphoric Acid traces 100.00 ■ i1 99.92 The manure is quoted at 2spefcwfc. on rail.