12 



COLLECTION OF SAMPLES. The collection work has been 

 in the hands of three experienced men, and although as early and as 

 thorough a canvass as usual was made of the State, the unprecedented 

 demand for fertilizer resulted in a depletion of the stocks to such an 

 extent that it was not possible in all cases to procure representative 

 samples of registered brands. The collection was continued much 

 later than usual in the hope that most of the registered brands might 

 be located, but for some reason the stocks of the agents were not 

 replenished although an active demand for mixed fertilizers was 

 everywhere in evidence. There has been the usual number of re- 

 quests for the sampling of early shipments of cottonseed meal, wood 

 ashes, and chemicals, as well as mixed fertilizers. Prompt reports 

 are furnished in all cases where cash purchases are made and the car- 

 load becomes the unit. In cases where a large number of samples of 

 the same brand are analyzed, the Station is compensated in part for 

 the extra work involved. 



Statistics of Sampling. The following data in regard to the 1917 

 collection may be of interest: sacks sampled 12,801, representing 

 5,452 tons of fertilizer; 136 towns were visited; 1,047 samples, 

 representing 441 distinct brands, were drawn from stock found in 

 the possession of 360 different agents or owners. 



FERTILIZERS ANALYZED. Six hundred and twenty-six 

 analyses (441 distinct brands) have been made during the year's 

 inspection. Six hundred of these, representing 418 brands, are 

 published in this bulletin. Twenty-four analyses, representing 

 21 brands, have not been published on account of lack of space. They 

 were private mixtures, officially collected, but not registered. The 

 registered brands analyzed are as follows: 



Analyses Brands 



Complete fertilizers 140 129 



Ammoniated superphosphates 198 158 



Ground bone, tankage and dry ground fish. 72 51 



Nitrogen compounds 99 28 



Phosphoric acid compounds 28 21 



Wood ashes 31 3 



Lime compounds 34 28 



FERTILIZER TRADE VALUES. The fluctuation in prices 

 for standard raw materials and chemicals has been even more re- 

 markable during 1917 than for the previous year, as evidenced by the 

 following table: 



