301 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ANALYSIS OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



R. C. KEDZIE. 



Bulletin 202 — Chemical Department. 



THE LAW. 



The law providing for the inspection of commercial fertilizers and to regulate their 

 sale in this State was enacted in 1885. The law has been reprinted in these Bulletins 

 several times, but as there are so many new dealers and consumers who want to know 

 the exact words of the law, it is again printed for the information of the public. 



[Act No. 26 of the Session Laics of 1885.] 



The People of the State of Michigan enact: 



Section 1. Any person or persons who shall sell or offer for sale in this State any 

 commercial fertilizer, the retail price of which exceeds ten dollars per ton, shall affix 

 on the outside of every package containing such fertilizer a plainly printed certificate, 

 stating the number of net pounds therein; the name or trade mark under which such 

 article is sold; the name of the manufacturer; the place of manufacture, and a chemical 

 analysis, stating the percentage of nitrogen in an available form; of potash soluble in 

 water and of phosphoric acid in available form (soluble or reverted) and the insoluble 

 phosphoric acid. 



Sec. 2. Before any commercial fertilizer is sold or offered for sale, the manufacturer, 

 importer or party who causes it to be sold or offered for sale within this State, shall 

 file with the secretary of the State Board of Agriculture a certified copy of the analysis 

 and certificate referred to in section one, and shall also deposit with said secretary a 

 sealed glass jar containing not less than two pounds of such fertilizer, with an affidavit 

 that it is a fair sample of the article thus to be sold or offered for sale. 



Sec. 3. The manufacturer, importer, or agent for any commercial fertilizer, the 

 retail price of which exceeds ten dollars per ton as aforesaid, shall pay annually to the 

 secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, on or before the first day of May, a license 

 fee of twenty dollars for each and every brand of fertilizer he offers for sale in, this 

 State: Provided, That whenever the manufacturer or importer shall have paid this 

 license fee his agents shall not be required to do so. 



Sec. 4. All such analyses of commercial fertilizers required by this act shall be 

 made under the direction of the State Board of Agriculture and paid out of the funds 

 arising from the license fees provided for in section three. At least one analysis of 

 each fertilizer shall be made annually. 



Sec. 5. The Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture shall publish in his annual 

 report a correct statement of all analyses made and certificates filed in his office 

 together with a statement of all moneys received for license fees, and expended for 

 analysis. Any surplus from license fees remaining on hand at the close of the fiscal 

 year shall be placed to the credit of the experimental fund of said board. 



Sec. 6. Any person or persons who shall sell or offer for sale any commercial fertilizer 

 in this State without first complying with the provisions of sections one, two and three 

 of this act, or who shall attach or cause to be attached to any such package or fertilizer 

 an analysis stating that it contains a larger percentage of any one or more of the con- 

 stituents or ingredients named in section one of this act than it really does contain 

 shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than one hundred dollars for the first 

 offense, and not less than three hundred dollars for every subsequent offense, and the 

 offender shall also be liable for damages sustained by the purchaser of such fertilizer 

 on account of such misrepresentation. 



Sec. 7. The State Board of Agriculture by any duly authorized agent is hereby 

 authorized to select from any package of commercial fertilizer exposed for sale in this 



