No. 6. 



DIPARTxMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



913 



Percentacres of Deficiency, 1899 — 1902. 



be 



B 





§ 



tin 



c 





fa 





a 



Complete fertilizers, 



Dissolved bone, 



Rock and potash, 



Dissolved rock 



Ground bone, 



All classes except miscellaneous, 



40.00 

 •100.00 

 30.3 

 15.2 

 IT. 8 

 34.2 



•Only two samples analyzed. 

 tOnly one sample analyzed. 



Marked variations in the general percentages of deficiency occur 

 from year to year. During the past season, they have been some- 

 what more numerous than usual. In most samples which are found 

 below guaranty at one point, (here is an excess at some other point, 

 indicating that the cause of departure from the composition guar- 

 anteed lay not in the failure of the manufacturer to use the requisite 

 components, but in his failure to secure a uniform mixture. 



Considering all cases of complete fertilizers in which guaranties 

 were strictly comparable with stated analytical results and suffi- 

 ciently complete for the jmrpose: Of the one hundred and fifteen 

 samples in which there was deficiency at some point, there were only 

 seventeen in which there w-as not distinct excess above guaranty at 

 some other point, though sometimes such excess was not sufficient 

 to counter-balance the deficiency. Naturallv, the tendency is toward 

 excess of the cheaper constituent, phosphoric acid, and deficiency 

 of potash or nitrogen, as appears below. 



Two-thirds of the brands were up to or above guaranty at all 

 points. The true average condition of the market for complete fer- 

 tilizers will be more fairly exhibited by a comparison of the average 

 composition of all samples for which guaranties are recorded with 

 the average of the corresponding guaranties; they are as follows: 



58—6—1902 



