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CONTROL SERIES BULLETIN No. 29 NOVEMBER, 1924 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 



INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 



By H. D. Haskins, L. S. Walker and George B. Dalrymple 



This bulletin gives the results of the 1924 fertilizer control. 

 The statistics with reference to tonnage of mixed fertilizer grades 

 indicate that the recommendations of New England agronomists 

 and control officials in eliminating uneconomical fertilizer 

 grades is slowly having effect. With reference to deficiency sta- 

 tistics, although it is apparent that the average manufacturer 

 wisely plans a suitable margin of overruns, yet there are indica- 

 tions in some instances of a tendency this season to hew rather 

 too closely to the minimum guarantee, particularly with the 

 element nitrogen. It is very gratifying to note the steady im- 

 provement in the quality of the water insoluble nitrogen in mixed 

 fertilizers from year to year: this offers a good illustration of what 

 can be accomplished in widening the scope of control service by 

 the intelligently directed and united efforts of a body of control 

 officials. It is believed that pointing out the shortcomings and 

 offering constructive criticisms to members of the fertilizer trade 

 offer quite as much opportunity on the part of the control ser- 

 vice to improve the industry as does any feature of a well managed 

 inspection. 



Requests for bulletins should be addressed to the 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 

 AMHERST. MASS. 



