686 ANNUAL REPORT OP THE Off. Doc. 



MATEKTALS USED IN FERTILIZERS 



The microscopic examination of the nitrogenous fertilizers for 

 leather, hair, and other materials the use of which without notice is 

 prohibited by the Act of May 1, 1909, revealed in no case such quan- 

 tity of any of these substances as might not fairly be regarded as an 

 accidental trace. No instance has been reported by the sampling 

 agents in which a declaration of the presence of such material has 

 been made. It is, however, a matter of quite general knowledge that 

 substances of this kind are being largely used in fertilizer mixtures; 

 but, in most cases at least, only after such treatment as results in the 

 destruction of the characteristic tissues and, at the same time, wholly 

 or partly in that of the organic compounds originally present. The 

 Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station is now conducting 

 under the writer's supervision, an investigation to determine the 

 degree to which the acid treatment usually employed improves the 

 availability of the nitrogen in these substances. 



In conformity with the requirements of the Act of April 23, 1909, 

 many firms dropped from the brand names of goods manufactured 

 by them the word "bone" hitherto forming part of said names. Where 

 such change in name appears, it may be taken as evidence that the 

 phosphoric acid is derived, at least in part, from something else than 

 bone. In several cases where the word "bone" remains in the brand 

 name, the composition of the goods makCvS it clear that the law has 

 been violated. All such cases have been reported for legal action. 



FERTILIZER ANALYSES AUGUST 1, TO DECEMBER 31, 1910 



Since August 1, 1910, there have been received from authorized 

 sampling agents ten hundred and seventy seven fertilizer samples, of 

 which four hundred and eighty-seven were subjected to analysis. Pre- 

 ference has been given to those which have not been recenty analyzed. 

 In cases where two or more samples representing the same brand 

 were received, equal portion from several samples were united, and 

 the composite sample was subjected to analysis. 



The samples analyzed group themselves as follows: 24 complete 

 fertilizers, furnishing phosphoric acid, potash and nitrogen; 4 dis- 

 solved bones, furnishing phosphoric acid and nitrogen; 109 rock-and 

 potash fertilizers, furnishing phosphoric acid and potash; 32 acidu- 

 lated rock phosphates, furnishing phosphoric acid only; 29 ground 

 bones, furnishing phosphoric acid and nitrogen, and 19 miscella- 

 neous samples, which group includes substances not properly classi- 

 fied under the foregoing heads. 



