New York Agricultural ExrERiMENT Station. 213 



two samples collected during the year did the material contain 

 nitrogen, when the name dissolved bone was used. There is 

 reason, therefore, for believing that in every instance, when a 

 fertilizer guarantees only available phosphoric acid without ni- 

 trogen, its source is dissolved rock and not dissolved bone, ex- 

 cept perhaps when specifically called dissolved bone-black, bone- 

 ash or some similar name. 



The same feature occurs in the naming of mixtures of phos- 

 phoric acid and potash. During the year 58 of these were col- 

 lected. These were sold under no less than 25 different names. 

 Among these were " alkaline bone," " bone and potash," " gen- 

 uine soluble bone and potash," " bone and potash superphos- 

 phate," " dissolved bone and potash," " alkaline dissolved bone 

 phosphate," etc. In no case did one of these mixtures guarantee 

 any nitrogen and there can be little doubt as to the source of 

 the phosphoric acid. 



The question naturally suggests itself as to why it is regarded 

 necessary to call dissolved rock by so many different names, 

 some of which are surely misleading and most of which rarely 

 suggest the source of the material used. 



