14 



inches of the handle. In making this slit the metal is slightly bent 

 out, filed and polished to a knife edge, so that upon insertion into 

 the bag it may be turned around several times if necessary to insure 

 a perfect core its entire length. The tube, being open at the end, 

 insures perfect and rapid cleaning after, each sampling, by means 

 of a long-handled bristle brush. It is felt that this instrument is 

 better adapted for the work than one which is closed at the end. 



Statistics of Sampling. The following data in regard to the 1916 

 collection may be of interest: sacks sampled 22,122, representing 

 9,668 tons of fertilizer; 155 towns were visited; 1,398 samples, repre- 

 senting 548 distinct brands, were drawn from stock found in the 

 possession of 414 different agents or owners. 



Eight hundred analyses (552 distinct brands) have 

 Fertilizers been made during the year's inspection. They are 

 Analyzed. as follows: 



Complete Fertilizers 275 



Ammoniated superphosphates * 177 



Ground bone, tankage and dry ground fish 95 



Nitrogen compounds 132 



Phosphoric acid compounds 32 



Wood ashes 48 



Lime Compounds 41 



800 



It has been customary for many years to publish in the 

 Fertilizer annual bulletin a table of trade values of fertilizing in- 

 Trade gredients, as adopted by representatives of the experi- 

 Values. ment stations of New England, New York and New Jer- 

 sey. These values were fixed by computing the average 

 cost per pound, at retail, for the six months preceding March 1, 

 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash as furnished by standard raw 

 materials and chemicals in the markets of New England and New 

 York. Both wholesale and retail prices were studied before the 

 final adoption of the trade values. There has always been more or 

 less fluctuation from month to month in the prices of various forms 

 of crude stock materials. Yet in the past they have not been so 

 abnormal but that reasonable averages could be established. The 

 prices during the last few months of 1915 and during 1916 have been 

 quite unusual. Some of the materials have shown a remarkable 

 advance, \yhile in case of the potash salts, prices were prohibitive. 

 The following table will give some idea of the wide fluctuation ex- 

 isting in the market in crude stock fertilizing materials during the 

 season. 



