and available phosphoric acid, and the degree of fineness. In the case of bone, 

 tankage, and other natural organic phosphate materials, only the total phos- 

 phoric acid, need be guaranteed. Additional plant food elements, determinable 

 by chemical methods, may be guaranteed only by permission of the commissioner 

 by and with the advice of the director of the agricultural experiment station. 

 When any such additional plant foods are claimed, they shall be included in the 

 guarantee, and shall be subject to inspection and analysis in accordance with the 

 methods and regulations that may be prescribed by commissioner. 



(b) A distributor shall not be required to register any brand of commer- 

 cial fertilizer which is already registered hereunder by another person. 



(c) The plant food content of each and every brand of commercial fer- 

 tilizer must remain uniform for the period of registration. 



Labeling. (a) Any commercial fertilizer offered for sale or sold or dis- 

 tributed in this state in bags, barrels, or other containers shall have placed on 

 or affixed to the container in written or printed form the net weight and the 

 information required. (1), (2), and (3) of paragraph (a) of section 4 either 

 (1) on tags affixed to the end of the package between the ears and/or on the 

 sewed end or (2) directly on the package, (b) If distributed in bulk, a written 

 or printed statement of the weight and the information required by (1), (2) and 

 (3) of paragraph (a) of section 4, shall accompany delivery and be supplied to 

 the pui'chaser." 



The chief purpose of the official inspection required by the fertilizer law is 

 to protect the consumer against misbranded products that doubtless would soon 

 appear on the market if the sale of fertilizer was not under state regulation. The 

 purchaser of fertilizer should be acquainted with the fertilizer law and familiar 

 with the information given on labels as required by law. If he accepts fertilizer 

 not tagged in compliance with the law, he does so at his own risk. 



A commercial fertilizer generally supplies one or more of three elements, 

 nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil. These are expressed in terms of 

 nitrogen, phosphorous pentoxlde and potash, and the symbols used are N, P2O5 and 

 K2O respectively. The term phosphoric acid that has been used for years when 

 speaking of the phosphorus content of a fertilizer is being slowly discarded 

 because it does not name the compound actually meant in the fertilizer. In fact 

 the use of the element designation N, P, and K is appearing more and more in 

 everyday talk but expression of these fertilizer constituents in terms of the 

 element is common only in the case of nitrogen, N. It is anticipated that it will 

 not be many years before phosphorus, P, and potassium, K, will also be expressed 

 in terms of the element. Research workers in agricultural experiment stations 

 and industrial research groups are constantly studying the needs of the soil to 

 improve crop yields. Under specific conditions elements such as magnesium, boron 

 and other so-called minor elements are needed to correct soil deficiencies in cer- 

 tain localities. These may be included in the mixed fertilizer. 



Much advertising of fertilizer materials packed in small packages is directed 

 to the attention of the small home gardener and growers of house plants. It is 

 realized that the owner of a few house plants does not want to buy a large bag of 

 fertilizer for his or her needs and such small packaged material serves a definite 

 need. However, certain advertising claims have been open to question and perhaps 

 "miracle" results may not always be obtained. In general it is more economical 

 for the gardener to purchase fertilizer of a reliable brand and in reasonably large 

 packages. 



During the past year considerable interest was aroused in the use of liquid 

 fertilizers and their application by tank truck operators. This interest was directed 

 especially to the care of lawns. The problems ai"e many and cannot be adequately 

 discussed here. The costs may be quite high and the first great interest appears 

 to have subsided. There is a definite place for liquid fertilizers, since they are 

 quickly available due to the fact they are already in solution. It is felt that each 

 case should be considered and its needs carefully studied for the successful use 

 of these new materials. 



All control officials charged with the enforcement of state laws regulating 

 the sale of commercial fertilizers and fertilizer materials are joined in the Asso- 

 ciation of American Fertilizer Control Officials. Research workers employed by 

 State or Federal Agencies engaged in the investigation of fertilizers are also 

 members of this Association. The object of this organization is to "promote 



