76 



Journal of Agriculture. Victoria. 



[lo Feb., 1911, 



CHECKING WEIGHTS. 



jj;uaranteed wtight ; yet, five days 

 later, it averaged 3I lbs. per bag 

 under weight, representing a loss of 

 ()\er I lb. per bag per day. 



Farmers are continually weighing 

 bags of manure and when the net 

 weight is low, which is usually the 

 case, they complain. Manufacturers 

 guarantee weight at the time of 

 ana.lysis, i.e., as the manure leaves 

 the factory. A farmer obtaining a 

 parcel of artificial manure is prac- 

 tic.dly buying a definite quantity of 

 l)liasphoric acid, and it matters not if 

 the weight on arrival is deficient so 

 long as the weight at the time of 

 despatch is correct and the phosphoric 

 acid content is not decreased. For 

 example, a ton of ordinary super- 

 phosphate i.s sampled, analysed, and 

 weighed, first in Melbourne and 

 a ftf awards in the country, with the 

 followino- result : — 



The loss in weight is due to the evaporation of moisture, the result being- 

 that the producer bought a manure at a certain guarantee for ^4 7s. 6d. 

 jier ton and received a manure with a higher analysis worth approximately 

 £^\ IIS. 6d. per ton; the loss in weight, viz. •.• — 7^ lbs. per bag, is equiva- 

 lent to an increase in value of 4s. per ton. 



Consignments of manures A\eighed at Yarraville ga\e the following net 

 weights : — ■ 



It will therefore be seen that the manufacturer treated the producer very 

 fairly in the matter of weight. In one instance only a manufacturer wa* 

 detected giving short weight and he recei\-ed warning. 



