1915.] PUBLIC DOCmiEXT — No. 31. 45 a 



this material as a source of nutrition. The material is being- 

 further investigated. 



The value of JSTew Mineral and Stone Meal fertilizers has been 

 studied and is referred to under a separate heading. 



The same remark may be made relative to the availability of 

 organic nitrogen in commercial fertilizers, and of the relative 

 value of basic phosphatic slag as a source of phosphoric acid. 



2. Work of the Feetilizee Sectioi^. 

 The principal work of the fertilizer section, in charge of Mr. 

 Haskins with Messrs. Walker, Jones and Frost as assistants, 

 has been the annual inspection of commercial fertilizers. The 

 number of brands registered, collected and analyzed during 1914 

 is considerably in excess of that in any previous year. 



(a) Fertilizers registered. 

 During the season of 1914, 110 manufacturers, importers 

 and dealers, including the various branches of the large corpora- 

 tions, have secured certificates for the sale of 564 different 

 brands of fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, raw products and 

 agricultural lime. They may be classed as follows : — 



366 

 11 

 56 

 98 

 33 



Complete fertilizei-s, 



Fertilizers furnishing phos])horie acid and potash, 

 Ground bone, tankage and dry ground fish, . 

 Chemicals and organic nitrogen compounds, . 

 Agiicultural limes, 



564 



(&) Fertilizers collected and analyzed. 



During 1914, 135 towns were visited, and 1,307 samples, 

 representing 606 distinct brands, which include private mix- 

 tures, were drawn from stock found in the possession of 365 

 different agents and consumers. This represents 8 more samples 

 and 35 more brands than were taken during the previous year. 



Seven hundred and eighty-one analyses (603 distinct brands) 

 have been made during the year's inspection. They are as fol- 

 lows : — 



