8 X. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 225 



DEFICIENCIES. 

 Twenty-six of the 103 samples analyzed were found to 

 contain less than the guaranteed amount of one or more 

 of the three constituents. Seven were deficient in nitro- 

 gen only, four in phosporic acid only and one in potash 

 only ; two were deficient in both nitrogen and phosphoric 

 acid, ten in both nitrogen and potash and one in all three 

 constituents, making the total number of deficiencies 

 forty. Twenty-nine of these deficiencies were two-tenths 

 of one per cent or more, 



NITROGEN DEFICIENCIES. 



Three brands of nitrate of soda and one brand of sul- 

 phate of ammonia wetre analyzed. These four brands 

 fully met their guarantee. Five brands, four of acid 

 phosphate and one of muriate of potash, contain no nitro- 

 gen. The remaining ninety-two brands Avere guaranteed 

 to cointain nitrogen in amounts varying from 0.82 per 

 cent to 8.22 per cent. Twenty-one of these, more than 

 twenty per cent, failed to meet the guarantee in full. 

 Four were below the guarantee by less than one-tenth per 

 cent. Seven were below by more than one-tenth per cent 

 and less than two-tenths per cent. Five were below by 

 more than two-tenths per cent and less than three-tenths 

 per cent. Two were below by more than three-tenths per 

 cent and less than four-tenths per cent. One failed to 

 meet its guarantee by one-half per cent, one by eighty- 

 six hundredths per cent and one by within two hun- 

 dredths of a full per cent. Since nitrogen is the most 

 costly constituent of mixed fertilizers, any deficiency in 

 this element considerably decreases the value in dollars 

 per ton to the consumer. The value of the amount of 

 nitrogen represented by the. greatest deficiency above is 

 approximately five dollars per ton. The following table 

 shows this year's nitrogen deficiencies compared with 

 those of recent years. 



