11 



FERTILIZERS ANALYZED. 



Six hundred and fifteen analyses (418 distinct brands) have been made 

 during the year's inspection. These analyses will be found in the tables 

 following. The different samples and brands analyzed are as follows : — 



Complete fertilizers, ..... 



Ammoniated superphosphates, . 

 Superphosphate and potash. 

 Ground bone, tankage and dry ground fish. 

 Nitrogen compounds, ..... 



Phosphoric acid and potash compounds, . 

 Wood ashes, ....... 



Lime compounds, ..... 



Ground rock 



Analyses. 



Brands. 



FERTILIZER TONNAGE. 



In accordance with chapter 220, General Acts of 1918, a declaration of the 

 tonnage of fertilizers sold in Massachusetts has been made. From these 

 data we find that from July 1, 1918, to July 1, 1919, this amounted to a total 

 of 54,878 tons, divided as follows: mixed fertilizers, 42,689 tons; unmixed 

 materials, 12,189 tons. This is about one-half of the estimate made by 

 representatives of the fertilizer industry in the spring of 1918 when the new 

 fertilizer law was formulated and enacted. It is the expressed belief of some 

 of the larger distributors that the tonnage of fertilizer sold in Massachusetts 

 during the past season has not been up to normal. We fancy that this may 

 be true, as our inspectors reported in many instances but small stocks of 

 fertilizer on hand among the agents; and the opinion of many agents, par- 

 ticularly in some of the eastern sections of the State, was that a minimum 

 amount of fertilizer was being used, due to the high prices which have pre- 

 vailed. 



FERTILIZER VALUATIONS. 



That the fertilizer market has not reached a normal or settled equilibrium 

 will be seen from the following wide variations in quotations as taken from 

 the trade journals for the six months preceding March 1. In spite of the 

 unsettled market, it was thought best to establish a table of trade values and 

 compute valuations as provided by law, as the figures will at least allow a 

 comparison of the commercial values of fertilizers of similar composition. 



