HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



Five hundred and twelve samples were analyzed at the 

 close of November, 1903, representing two hundred and 

 ninety distinct brands of fertilizer. These analyses were 

 pu)>lished in two bulletins of the Hatch Experiment Station 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural College : No. 90, July, 

 and No. 92, November, 1903. 



During the year 1903 a larger number of fertilizers have 

 been licensed in the State of Massachusetts than for any 

 previous year in the history of our fertilizer inspection laws. 

 This necessitates an increased amount of work in the official 

 inspection of commercial fertilizers. Twenty-three more 

 brands of fertilizers were licensed and eighty more collected 

 during the past season than in the previous year. 



Below will be found an abstract of the results of analyses 

 of official commercial fertilizers for the years 1902 and 

 1903 : — 



(a) Where three essential elements of plant food were guaranteed : — 

 Number with three elements equal to or above the highest guarantee, 

 Xumber with two elements above the highest guarantee, 

 Number with one element above the highest guarantee, .... 

 Number with three elements between the lowest and highest guarantee, 

 Number witli two elements between the lowest and highest guarantee, 

 Number witli one element between the lowest and highest guarantee, 

 Number witli tliree elements Ijelow the lowest guarantee. 



Number witli two elements below the lowest guarantee 



Number with one element below the lowest guarantee, .... 



(6) Where two essential elements of plant food were guaranteed : — 

 Numljer with two elements cabove the highest guarantee, 



Numljer with one element aljove the highest guarantee 



Number with two elements between the lowest and highest guarantee, 

 Number witli one element Iietween the lowest and highest guarantee, 



Number with two elements below the lowest guarantee 



Number with one element below the lowest guarantee 



(c) Where one essential element of plant food was guaranteed : — 



Number above tlie highest guarantee 



Number between lowest and highest guarantee 



Number below lowest guarantee 



From the above table it will be seen that there is no mate- 

 rial change in the quality of the fertilizers which have been 

 examined, when compared with the results of tlu^ previous 

 year. Where a discrepancy has occurred between the re- 



