EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 289 



FERTILIZER xS^NALYSES. 



BY R. ('. Kr:r>/JK. 



Bulletin ]!>2. — Clieniital Department. 



The law providing for the inspection of commercial fertilizers and to regulate their 

 sale in this State was enacted in 188.'): The law has been reprinted in these Bulletins 

 several times, but as there are so many new dealers and consumers who want to 

 know the exact words of the law, it is again jirinted for the information of the public. 



[Act No. 26 of the Session Laics of 188-5.] 



The People of the State of Micliigan enact: 



Section 1. Any person or persons wlio shall sell or oiler for sale in this State any 

 commercial fertilizer, the retail i)rice of which exceeds ten dollars per ton. shall allix 

 on the outside of every paci<age containing such fertilizer a plainly printed certi- 

 fi<ate. stating the nund)er of net ])ounds therein: the name or trade mark under 

 which sucli article is sold: the name of the manufacturer: the place of manufacture, 

 and a chemical analysis, stating the ])ercentage of nitrogen in an available form: of 

 potash soluble in water and of phosphoric acid in available form, soluble or reverted) 

 and the insoluble phosphoric acid. 



Sec. 2. Before any commercial fertilizer is sold or offered for sale, the manu- 

 facturer, importer or ))arty who causes it to be sold or oftered for sale within this 

 State, shall file with the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture a certified copy 

 of the analysis and certificate referred to in section one. and sliall also deposit with 

 said secretary a sealed glass jar containing not less than two pounds of such fer- 

 tilizer, with an allidavit that it i- a fair sanqde of tlie article thus to l)e sold or 

 otfered for sale. 



Sec. 3. The manufacturer, imjjorter. or agent of any conuuercial fertilizer, the 

 retail price of which exceeds ten dollars \h-y ton as aforesaid, shall pay annually to 

 the Secretary of llie State Board of Agriculture, on or before tlie first day of May. a 

 license fee of twenty doliais for cacli and every l)rand of fertilizer he oficrs for 

 sale in this State: I'rovided. That whenever the manufacturer or inijMirter shall have 

 paid this license fee his agents shall not be required to do so. 



Sec. 4. All such analyses of connnercial fertilizers required by this act shall be 

 made under the direction of the State Board of Agricullure and paid out of the 

 funds arising from the license fees provided for in section three. At least one 

 analysis of each fertilizer shall be made annually. 



See. 5. The Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture shall publish in his annual 

 report a correct statement of all analyses made and certificates filed in his office to- 

 getlicr witii a statement of all moneys received for license fees, and expended for 

 analysis. Any surplus from license fees remaining on hand at the close of the fiscal 

 year shall be placed to the credit of the experimental fund of said i)oard. 



Sec. (). Any jierson or persons who shall sell or oMer for sale any conuuercial 

 fertilizer in this State without first complying with tlie provisions of sections one. 

 two. and three of this act. or who shall atiaeli (U- cause to be attached to any such 

 package or fertilizer an analysis stating that it contains a larger percentage of any 

 one or more of the constituents or ingredients named in section one of this act than 

 it really does contain shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than one hun- 

 dred dollars for the first otVeuM-. and not less than three huinlred tloUars for every 

 sub>i'(|nent otl'ense, and the ofiender >ball also be liai)le for damages >u>taincd by the 

 purchaser of such fertilizer on account of such misrei)resentation. 



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