INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 



11 



1 Including 548 tons of double strength 10-16-14. 

 » Including 555 tons of 5-10-5 and 89 tons of 8-16-8. 



The revision of the "New England Standard Nine" grades consisted in the 

 deletion of grades 0-12-6, 3-10-6, 4-8-6 and 5-4-5 and substituting grades 2-10-8, 

 6-8-6, 6-3-6 and 4-6-10. The substitution of grade 6-3-6 for 5-4-5 was an effort 

 to get away from what has been known for many years to be an uneconomical 

 grade. With reference to the substitution of the 4-6-10 grade, this was quite 

 likely an effort to harmonize with general farm and trade practice. 



The tonnage figures as appHed to the present "New England Standard Nine" 

 show that out of ten of the most popular grades, totaling 36,557 tons, only five, 

 totaling 25,844 tons, were members of the revised nine. 



About 58.8 per cent of the total tonnage of mixed fertihzers was among the 

 "Standard Nine" grades, as compared with 61.3 per cent for 1927; however, 

 about 29 per cent additional tonnage was from grades varying from the "Stand- 

 ard Nine" in but 1 per cent in one or more plant food elements, making a total of 

 about 88 per cent which fell within or varied in one or more elements but one 

 per cent from the "Standard Nine" group. 



Nearly 22.5 per cent of the total tonnage of mixed fertilizers was from five 

 grades not recommended in the "Standard Nine" group. These five grades 

 with their standing as regards tonnage are as follows: 3-8-4, third largest; 5-3-5, 

 fourth largest; 5-4-5, sixth largest; 7-3-7, eighth largest; and 4-8-7, ninth 

 largest. It may be said, however, that all of these five vary but one per cent 

 from the "Standard Nine" group. 



MIXED FERTILIZERS. 

 Deficiency Statistics. 



The following table records for each manufacturer the number of brands 

 sampled and analyzed as well as the number approximately equal to the guarantee 

 in commercial valuation, also the extent to which each firm was successful in 

 maintaining the minimum guarantee, data being confined to nitrogen, available 

 phosphoric acid and potash. 



