32 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. D»C. 



of its advanced position in the development of agriculture, through 

 the work of the skilled scientists in her employ. 



The work of this Division is so fully set forth in the report of the 

 Veterinarian, that it is unnecessary to do more here than direct atten- 

 tion to it without repeating its statements. ' 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



It is the duty of the Secretary of Agriculture ''to collect samples of 

 commercial fertilizers; to have them analyzed, and to publish the 

 results for the information of the public." During the past year 

 there have been two bulletins issued by the Department, giving the 

 results of analyses of fertilizers, one giving the results of analyses of 

 samples taken in the spring, and the other that of samples taken in 

 the fall. Fourteen hundred and ten samples were collected, and of 

 these, seven hundred and sixty-one were analyzed. The samples an- 

 alyzed were classified as follows: 



Complete Fertilizers, containing Phosphoric Acid, Potash and Nitrogen, 



Dissolved Bone, containing Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen 



Rock and Potash, containing Phosphoric Acid and Potash 



Acidulated Rock, containing Phosphoric Acid 



Ground Bone, containing Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen 



Miscellaneous, such as Potash Salts, and Nitrate o£ Soda, 



470 



6 



102 



98 



77 



8 



Total samples analyzed in 1901, I 761 



The analyses shows that manufacturers are, for the most part, en- 

 deavoring to comply with the law, and are putting out goods up to the 

 guarantee, and at fairly reasonable cost to the purchaser. In cases 

 where goods fall below the guarantee in one element, they frequently 

 overrun in the others thus, to some extent, equalizing the cost to the 

 manufacturer, although not giving to the purchaser the precise fer- 

 tilizing constituent which he had a right to expect. It is difficult in 

 such cases to always determine whether the manufacturer intention- 

 ally lowered the particular ingredient, found to be deficient, or 

 whether it was the result of defective manipulation in the mixing of 

 the goods. 



Until the end of the past year the Secretary, in whose hands is 

 placed the enforcement of the law, had no direct power to compel its 

 observance, owing to a clause in the act which provided that the 



