INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 



Made for the 

 State Department of Agriculture 



The inspection of commercial fertilizers reported in this bulletin was made 

 under the direction of the Honorable Peiley I. Fitts, Commissioner of Agriculture. 

 Mr. George H. Laramie, Fertilizer Control Supei'visor, and Mr. Harold W. Ayer, 

 Assistant Control Supei'visor, collected 125 samples of mixed fertilizer and 

 fertilizer materials which were offered for sale by dealers or had been delivered 

 to consumers during- the year ending June, 1955. The general character of the 

 brands sampled is shown by the following classification : 



THE FERTILIZER LAW 



Complete fertilizer 77 



Phosphoric acid and potash 11 



Nitrogen and Phosphoric acid 2 



Superphosphate 8 



Nitrate of Soda 1 



Ammonium nitrate 2 



Ammonium sulphate 1 



Muriate of Potash 1 



Ground bone 5 



Natural manures 8 



Tankage 2 



Urea 1 



Liquid-complete 3 



Liquid-dilute 3 



The New Hampshire Fertilizer Law has been rewritten so as to conform as 

 nearly as possible, and still fit New Hampshire conditions, with the Model 

 Fertilizer Law approved by the Association of American Fertilizer Control 

 Officials. It was passed by the 1955 Session of the Legislature and becomes effec- 

 tive on January 1, 1956. Since this bulletin covers the inspection year 1954-55, 

 the old law applies to all work reported here. All questions concerning the regis- 

 tration of brands and matters relating to the provisions of the law should be 

 addressed directly to the Fertilizer Control Supervisor, State House, Concord, 

 New Hampshire. All manufacturers and dealers selling fertilizers in New Hamp- 

 shire should obtain a copy of the law and any proposed regulations from the 

 above office for their guidance. 



Under the new law registrations will expire on January 1 of each year. The 

 registration fee has been increased to $10.00 for each element but not to exceed 

 $25.00 for each brand. Penalty clauses are provided for deficiencies greater than 

 specified tolerance, the detail of which is specified in the law. Provision is also 

 made for "stop sale" orders, seizure, and the prescribing of Rules and Regula- 

 tions by the Commissioner. 



The exact provisions of the new law concerning the registration, guarantee 

 and labeling of Commercial Fertilizers in New Hampshire are quoted as follows: 



"Registration, (a) Each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer shall be 

 registered before being ofi'ered for sale, sold or distributed in this state. The 

 application for registration shall be submitted to the commissioner on forms 

 furnished by the commissioner, and shall be accompanied by a fee, per brand, as 

 follows: ten dollars for the phosphoric acid, ten dollars for the nitrogen, ten 

 dollars for the potash, and ten dollars for the magnesium oxide, or other plant 

 food elements, compounds or classes of compounds; contained or claimed to be 

 in the said brand of fertilizer; but the fee for any brand shall not exceed twenty- 

 five dollars. All registrations expire on or before January 1, annually. The 

 application shall include the following information in the following order: (1) 

 The name and address of the person guaranteeing the fertilizer. (2) The brand 

 and grade. (3) The guaranteed analysis showing the minimum percentage of 

 plant food claimed in the following order and form: Total nitrogen. . . .per cent; 

 available phosphoric acid. . . .per cent; soluble potash. . . .per cent. Unacidulated 

 mineral prosphatic materials and basic slag shall be guaranteed as to both total 



