New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 405 



It will be noticed that the number of manufacturers of com- 

 mercial fertilizers decreased very largely in 1900 as compared 

 with preceding years. This marked decrease was due to a new 

 provision of the fertilizer law, first taking effect in 1900, requiring 

 manufacturers to pay a license fee of $20 on each brand offered 

 for sale in this State. Small mixers in the State discontinued 

 their business and manufacturers outside of New York, whose 

 business did not warrant the payment of the license fee, withdrew 

 their goods and business. The number of manufacturers was 

 still farther apparently decreased in 1901 by the combination of 

 over 20 companies under one name. 



The most marked efifect of the requirement of a license fee for 

 each brand was to reduce the number of brands offered for sale. 

 The increase of different brands had gone on rapidly from a few 

 hundred, until in 1899 it reached the phenomenal number of 2,268. 

 This number fell at once in 1900 to 600 and has since remained 

 between that number and 550. The multiplication of brands by 

 manufacturers had become a most serious abuse, entailing an im- 

 mense amount of work and expense on the Station in the collec- 

 tion and analysis of the different brands. It was possible to reach 

 this abuse only by the requirement of a license fee. 



The Composition of Fertilizers Analyzed. 



Nitrogen found, per ct 



Nitrogen found above guarantee, per ct. . .. 



Available phosphoric acid found, per ct 



Available phosphoric acid found above guar- 

 antee, per ct . 



Potash found, per ct 



Potash found above guarantee, per ct 



Water-soluble nitrogen found, per ct 



Water-soluble phosphoric acid found, per ct . 



2.24 

 0.32 



8.62 



0.91 



4.67 



0.22 



0.93 

 546 



From the data embodied in this table, it is readily seen that 

 there has been comparatively little variation in the average com- 

 position of fertilizers from year to year. The amounts of 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash above guarantee have run 

 within comparatively narrow limits. The data show that goods 



