New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 687 



stituents. Why should a deficiency exemption be allowed, for ex- 

 ample, in case of nitrate of soda to the extent of 10 per ct. of the guar- 

 anty, which amounts per ton of nitrate to 30 pounds of nitrogen, 

 having a value of $2.40 to $3 according to prices at present prevailing 

 in this State ? There is no good reason why any absolute exemption 

 should be made to such an extent as will permit a seller to sell any 

 fertilizer with impunity, when it contains, to the extent of several 

 dollars, less plant-food than is called for by the guaranty and when 

 the purchaser fails to receive by several dollars what he has paid for. 



Another feature of the 10 per ct. exemption is that no distinction is 

 made between the relative values of nitrogen, which is costly, and of 

 phosphoric acid or potash, the cost of which is about one-fourth that 

 of nitrogen. The same objection holds good here, only in greater 

 degree, as in the case of the former law. At present no such distinc- 

 tion whatever is made by the 10 per ct. exemption, while in the former 

 law some difference, though inadequate, was made by balancing 0.33 

 per ct. of nitrogen against 0.5 per ct. of phosphoric acid or potash. 

 At present the 10 per ct. exemption permits equal deficiencies of ni- 

 trogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 



These defects can be properly regulated only (1) by limiting the 

 amount of the absolute exemption of deficiency of nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and potash to less than the present 10 per ct. limit in all 

 cases where the guaranty of these constituents exceeds certain 

 amounts; and (2) by fixing such limitations in a manner that will ap- 

 proximately recognize the relative monetary value of nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid and potash. To effect such changes as will meet the 

 most serious objections existing in the provisions of the present law, 

 the following suggestions are made: 



(1) In the case of nitrogen, no absolute exemption greater than a de- 

 ficiency of 0.30 per ct. (equal to 6 pounds per ton) should be permitted 

 and (2) in the case of phosphoric acid and potash, no absolute exemption 

 greater than a deficiency of 1 per ct. (equal to 20 pounds per ton) should 

 be permitted. 



A few illustrations will make clear the effect of such a modification. 

 In the case of all fertilizers or materials containing more than 3 per 

 ct. of nitrogen, the 10 per ct. absolute deficiency of the present pro- 

 vision would not hold good; for example, in a fertilizer guaranteed to 

 contain 3.5 per ct. of nitrogen, a 10 per ct. deficiency would be 0.35 

 per ct., which would be permitted with immunity under the present 



