EEPORT OF ANALYSES OF COMMEECIAL 

 FEETILIZERS FOR THE FALL OF 1899.* 



L. L. Van Slyke. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) Scmiples Collected. — During the fall of 1899, the Station 

 collected 138 samples of commercial fertilizers, representing 130 

 different brands. Of these different brands 101 were complete 

 fertilizers; of the others, 15 contained phosphoric acid and potash 

 without nitrogen; 3 contained nitrogen and phosphoric acid with- 

 out potash; and 10 contained phosphoric acid alone. 



(2) Nitrogen. — The 101 brands of complete fertilizers con- 

 tained nitrogen varying in amount from 0.59 to 4.91 per ct. and 

 averaging 1.65 per ct. The average amount of nitrogen found 

 by the Station analysis exceeded the average guaranteed amount 

 by 0.13 per ct., the guaranteed average being 1.52 per ct. and the 

 average found being 1.65 per ct. 



In 79 brands of complete fertilizers, the amount of nitrogen 

 found was equal to or above the guaranteed amount, the excess 

 varying from 0.01 to 1.35 per ct. and averaging 0.23 per ct. 



In 22 brands, the nitrogen was below the guaranteed amount, 

 the deficiency varying from 0.03 to 0.62 per ct. and averaging 

 0.21 per ct. In 18 cases, the deficiency was less than 0,5 per ct. 



The amount of water-soluble nitrogen varied from 0.03 to 4.79 

 per ct. and averaged 0.62 per ct. 



I'artial reprint of Bulletin No. 173. 



