Chemical Analyses of Agricultural Materials. 



DEPARTME>'T OF AGEICULTrRE. 



CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL 

 MATERIALS 



Methods of Taking Samples. 



XoTE. — It' the sample is not repi'pseutative of the hulk, the results 

 of the analysis may he of little or no value. The accuracy of the 

 sampling- depends on the person taking the sample, and no means are 

 known whereby an absolutely correct sample may be taken by follow- 

 ing certain procedure. It is essential, therefore, that the person 

 taking the sample should be thoroughly satisfied that it is as repre- 

 sentative as possible. The analyst can only report on the same as 

 received l)y him. 



Feeding Stuffs— 



(/?) Grains, Meals, and Similar Feeding Stuffs (other 



than registered commercial farm foods). — Fnr each ton of the quantity 

 held up to () tons take two bags: if it exceeds 6 tons, take one bag for 

 every additional ton over b. Each bag should be emptied separately 

 on a clean, dry floor, be well mixed with a spade, and one spadeful 

 then set r.side. The different spadefuls from each liag should then be 

 mixed together, and a sample of aliout 4 lb. taken from the heap. 



(h) Green Fodders and Roughages. — Standing crops 



should be sampled by cutting 10 to 20 or more handfuls from diffeivnt 

 parts of the field: if too large a quantity be so obtained, it should be 

 thoroughly mixed and a portion weighing about 10 lb. taken as the 

 sample. Cut green fodders and hays should be well mixed if possible, 

 and 10 to 20 or more handfuls taken from different parts of the whole 

 bulk: or handfuls should be taken from 10 to 20 or more sheaves or 

 bales. 



(c) Roots and Tubers should be sampled by selecting average 

 specimeDs of the large, medium, and small roots forming the 

 quantity, as far as possible in the proportion in which these are 

 present. The number of individual roots or tubers comprised in the 

 sample should be 20 to -M) if tljey are small, or 9 to 12 if large, 

 according to si?e. 



Water- 

 In taking samples of water great cleanliness is essential. Bottles 

 used for water samples must be thoroughly cleansed by washing, and 

 on no account must anv bottle, which after Avashing retains the smell 



