INSPECTION OF AGRICULTURAL LIME PRODUCTS 

 FOR THE SEASON OF 1933 



By H. D. Haskins, Official Chemist. 



Manufacturers and Brands. 



During 1933, twenty-four firms registered for sale in Massachusetts thirty- 

 nine brands of agricultural lime and one of gypsum or land plaster. The pro- 

 ducts are grouped as follows: 



Hydrated or slaked lime 17 



Ground limestone, 19 



Lime kiln ashes, 1 



Oyster shell lime, 2 



39 

 Gypsum 1 



Every brand of agricultural lime registered has been analyzed and results 

 appear in the appropriate table in this bulletin. The same inspectors sampled 

 the lime products who were employed in drawing samples of fertilizers. In 

 this manner the state is quite thoroughly covered and the results of inspection 

 should give a fair picture of the quality of the lime products used as soil amend- 

 ments. A total of 66 samples was drawn from stock found in the possession 

 of 59 agents or owners. 



Variations and Deficiencies in the Composition of Lime Products. 



Two brands of hydrated lime were a little deficient in calcium oxide: the 

 "Sweet-Arrow" hydrate manufactured by H. E. Millard, and R-R Land Lime 

 manufactured by the Rockland & Rockport Lime Corp. In both cases, how- 

 ever, the neutralizing effect of the magnesium oxide overruns more than 

 balanced the small deficiencies of calcium oxide so there was no commercial 

 shortage. 



The Red Top Hydrated Lime registered by the United States Gypsum Co. 

 had a deficiency of 4.45 per cent calcium oxide and an overrun of 1.4 per cent 

 of magnesium oxide; this, changed to calcium oxide equivalent (1.4 x 1.39), 

 would give 1.95 per cent, leaving a deficiency of 2.5 per cent calcium oxide, or 

 50 pounds in one ton. It would appear that the calcium oxide guarantee on 

 this brand (75^ () was somewhat high, as pure hydrated lime can contain only 

 75.7 per cent calcium oxide. No other serious deficiencies were noted in this 

 table. 



No serious deficiencies occurred in the ground limestone products listed in 

 Table II; small deficiencies noted either in calcium oxide or in magnesium 

 oxide were more than made up by overruns in the other ingredient so that the 

 neutralizing value of the brand was not lessened. 



Purchase of Lime Products. 



In using the tables of analyses for the selection of liming materials, quotations 

 should be secured on the basis of delivered cost at the nearest railroad station 

 or, in case of truck delivery, at the farm. This ton cost should then be divided 

 by the number of hundred pounds of calcium oxide equivalent in one ton of 

 the product as given in the analysis tables. This will give the cost of 100 pounds 

 of effective oxides delivered. Example: A lime product is quoted at $4.25 



■Assisted by H. Robert DeRose, and John W. Kuzmeski, Chemists; James T. Howard, C. L. 

 Whiting, A. G. Brigham and G. E. Taylor, Sampling Agents. 



