VII. REPORT OF ANALYSES OF COMMERCIAL FER- 

 TILIZERS FOR THE FALL OF 1896.* 



SUMMARY. 



1. Samples Collected. During the fall of 1896 the Station 

 collected 326 samples of commercial fertilizers, representing 261 

 different brands. Of these different brands, 174 were complete 

 fertilizers; of the others, 35 contained phosphoric acid and pot- 

 ash without nitrogen ; 17 contained nitrogen and phosphoric acid 

 without potash; 26 contained phosphoric acid alone; 5, potash 

 salts only; and 4, nitrogen compounds alone. 



2. Nitrogen. The 174 brands of complete fertilizers contained 

 nitrogen varying in amount from 0.51 to 6.30 per cent and aver- 

 aging 1.82 per cent. The average amount of nitrogen found by 

 the Station analysis exceeded the average amount guaranteed 

 by 0.11 per cent, the average guaranteed being 1.71 per cent and 

 the average found being 1.82 per cent. 



In 124 brands of complete fertilizers, the amount of nitrogen 

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

 varying from 0.01 to 2.11 per cent and averaging 0.26 per cent. 



In 50 brands, the nitrogen was below the guaranteed amount, 

 the deficiency varying from 0.01 to 1.98 per cent and averaging 

 0.14 per cent. In 39 cases, the deficiency was less than 0.25 per 

 cent; in eight cases, less than 0.50 and over 0.25; in one case, it 

 was over 0.50 and below one per cent; and in two cases, it was 

 over one and below two per cent. 



3. Available Phosphoric Acid. The 174 brands of complete 

 fertilizers contained available phosphoric acid varying in amount 

 from 3.22 to 15.70 per cent and averaging 8.54 per cent. The 

 average amount of available phosphoric acid found by the Sta- 

 tion analysis exceeded the average amount guaranteed by 0.72 

 per cent, the average guaranteed being 7.82 per cent and the 

 average found being 8.54 per cent. 



• Fublished also as Bulletin No. 116. 



