October, 1926] fektilizee inspection, 1926 3 



the country during the year 1925. The annual con- 

 sumption in New Hampshire in 1925 is estimated at 

 16,000 tons. The figure for total production in the 

 United States is probably more accurate than that for 

 consumption in New Hampshire. It is possible to get 

 from manufacturers quite accurate figures of their annual 

 production, but it is not possible to trace all the manufac- 

 tured material to the locality in which it is used. The gen- 

 eral use of higher analysis fertilizers makes tonnage fig- 

 ures misleading even if they were obtainable. The figures 

 of most interest would be those compiled on the basis of 

 the units of each element of plant food, but any attempt 

 to secure reliable figures on this basis would involve an 

 amount of work out of proportion to their value. 



CONCENTRATED FERTILIZERS. 



Two brands of concentrated fertilizers were collected 

 and analyzed, one having the formula 8-16-20, the other 

 10-16-14. In recent years commercial methods have been 

 devised for the manufacture of a number of high-grade 

 concentrated nitrogenous materials, both organic and 

 inorganic, as well as concentrated phosphatic materials. 

 Some manufacturers are offering double, triple or multi- 

 ple-strength fertilizers. The present high freight rates 

 and labor costs both operate to make the use of more con- 

 centrated materials economical. Concentrated fertilizers 

 will no doubt be offered on the market in increasing num- 

 ber of brands as the materials become available and the 

 consumer becomes experienced in their use. The change 

 to the use of multiple-strength fertilizers, however, will 

 probably come slowly; for there must be overcome not 

 only the inertia of a large industry based on the manu- 

 facture of present percentages but the inertia of a large 

 body of consumers Avho are accustomed to buying and 

 applying fertilizers of the present grades. The economies 

 involved in the distribution of concentrated fertilizers are 



