112 Practical Farming 



lowest figure is the true one, and the ammonia is put 

 there simply to represent what the nitrogen would be as 

 ammonia, and does not mean that there is both nitrogen 

 and ammonia. 



In the second the ammonia is put down, and the phos- 

 phoric acid, and "Bone Phosphate" is put there because 

 that amount of phosphoric acid would be contained in 

 the given amount of bone phosphate, and to make the 

 farmer suppose that there is some bone in it, as farmers 

 have an idea that phosphoric acid from bones is better 

 than phosphoric acid from rock when both are the same 

 identical thing. Then ''Equal to Sulphate of Potash" 

 simply means that such a percentage of sulphate of pot- 

 ash would contain the potash stated, while the proba- 

 bility is that the potash in the article came from the 

 cheaper muriate of potash. 



In some states, notably in North Carolina, the law re- 

 quires that the manufacturer put on his sacks only the 

 actual percentage of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash 

 that the article contains, only this and nothing more, no 

 shding scale an J no "equal to." It is well for the student 

 to understand these things so as to be able to arrive at the 

 exact value of the article submitted to him. Formerly, 

 there was a great deal of fraud practiced in the manufac- 

 ture of commercial fertihzers, but of late years the laws in 

 most states have been made so strict that there is now 

 little actual swindHng in these, and the upright manu- 

 facturers are as earnestly in favor of the enforcement of 

 the laws as any one, since they, too, are protected from 

 competition with worthless frauds. What is important 

 for the farmer to know in regard to any complete fertilizer 



