6 CONTROL SERIES No. 109 



Drawing of Samples 



Between April 1 and June 15, three sampling agents made a thorough canvass 

 of the state: James T. Howard in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Berkshire 

 Counties; Louis A. Graves in Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, and Dukes 

 Counties; and Comfort L. Whiting in Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, and Worcester 

 Counties. They visited 144 towns, took 1,654 samples, representing 453 brands, 

 from stock in the possession of 393 agents or owners, and called at 250 places 

 where no samples were drawn because the agency had been discontinued, the stock 

 was all sold out, or sufficient samples had already been taken of the brands found. 

 They sampled 21,124 sacks, representing 8,433 tons of fertilizer. One ton was 

 sampled to every seven and nine-tenths tons sold in the state. 



FERTILIZER TONNAGE 

 Tonnage of Mixed and Unmixed Fertilizers Sold in Massachusetts 



a Does not include 876 tons of 45% superphosphate and 903 tons of 47% superphosphate dis- 

 tributed by the A.A.A. 



6 Does not include 2,305 tons of 47% superphosphate distributed by the A.A.A. 

 c Does not include 9,192 tons of 20% superphosphate distributed by the A.A.A. 



There were 1,241 tons more fertilizer sold in the state in 1941 than during the 

 previous year. The tonnage of mixed fertilizer was 2,476 more, and that of the 

 fertilizer chemicals and unmixed materials was 1,060 less than for 1940. Pulverized 

 manures showed a decrease of 175 tons. Of the total tonnage sold, 69.8 per cent 

 was mixed fertilizer, 28.1 per cent was unmixed materials, and 2.1 per cent was 

 dried and pulverized natural manures. 



The tonnage tables present figures for one year, July 1, 1940, to July 1, 1941, 

 for both mixed fertilizers and unmixed fertilizer materials. In case of the mixed 

 fertilizers, the grade represents the plant food guarantee and is expressed in the 

 order of nitrogen, available phosphoric acid, potash. 



Of the 46,212 tons of mixed fertilizer sold, 71 per cent was furnished by 10 

 grades and 150 brands. High analysis grades totaled 4,492 tons and 30 brands, 

 which is 392 tons more than in 1940. Although the total tonnage of mixed ferti- 

 lizers shows an increase of 2,476 tons, or 5.7 per cent, the high analysis grades show 

 an increase of 9.5 per cent. 



The following table shows the progressive increase in the manufacture of high 

 analysis grades for the past five years. A grade is considered as high analysis if 

 the guaranteed plant food elements total 30 per cent or more. 



