II. REPORT OF ANALYSES OF COMMERCIAL 

 FERTILIZERS FOR THE FALL OF 1897.* 



L. L. VAN SLIKE. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) Samples collected. During the fall of 1897, the Station 

 collected 270 samples of commercial fertilizers, representing 248 

 different brands. Of these different brands 172 were complete 

 fertilizers; of the others, 38 contained phosphoric acid and ppt- 

 ash without nitrogen; 7 contained nitrogen and phosphoric acid 

 without potash; 28 contained phosphoric acid alone; and 2 con- 

 tained potash salts only. 



(2) Nitrogen. The 172 brands of complete fertilizers contained 

 nitrogen varying in amounts from 0.58 to 4.89 per cent and 

 averaging 1,69 per cent. The average amount of nitrogen found 

 by the Station analysis exceeded the average guaranteed amount 

 by 0.16 per cent, the guaranteed average being 1.53 per cent and 

 the average found being 1.69 per cent. 



In 144 brands of complete fertilizers, the amount of nitrogen 

 found was equal to or above the guaranteed amount, the excess 

 varying from 0.01 to 0.93 per cent and averaging 0.22 per cent. 



In 28 brands, the nitrogen was below the guaranteed amount, 

 the deficiency varying from 0.01 to 0.96 per cent and averaging 

 0.21 per cent. In 25 cases, the deficiency was less than 0.5 per 

 cent. 



The amount of water-soluble nitrogen varied from 0.01 to 3.81 

 per cent and averaged 0.58 per cent. 



(3) Available phosphoric acid. The 172 brands of complete 

 fertilizers contained available phosphoric acid varying in amount 

 from 3.81 to 12.78 per cent and averaging 9.22 per cent. The 



•Reprint of Bulletin No. 134. 



