THE INSPECTION OF FERTILIZERS IN 1905. 



The fertilizer iDspectiou was eouducted as usual by the 

 cooperation of the State Board of Agriculture and the New 

 Hampshire College Agricultural Experiment Station. The 

 chemist of the latter institution executed the necessary chemi- 

 cal work assisted by Pklward H. Goodnow, William O. Robin- 

 son and Edwin J. Roberts. 



One hundred and live different brands of mixed fertilizers 

 were sampled and analyzed during the inspection. 



There were twenty-seven cases of failure to equal the guar- 

 antee in one or more ingredients, but in all but nine of them, a 

 lack in one element was made good by an excess of another, 

 without affecting the value of the goods. 



The majority of deficits was found in available phosphoric 

 acid in the lower grades of goods. 



The numerous brands can be practically all arranged in 

 twenty-live groups or classes, a table of which is shown on an 

 accompanying page. The groups are arranged principally in 

 the order of their nitrogen and potash contents, since there is 

 always an abundance of phosphoric acid present and it varies 

 between narrower limits. 



It is important to note that forty per cent, of the brands con- 

 tained less than two per cent, of nitrogen, and that few of 

 these contained any marked amount of inorganic nitrogen. In 

 practically all the higher grades a good portion of the nitrogen 

 is present in the inorganic form, which means that usually 

 nitrate of soda or sometimes sulphate of ammonia, is present, 

 and a quickly acting fertilizer is insured. 



As a rule, there is a larger proportion of soluble phosphoric 

 acid than of the reverted form, which indicates a carefully 

 prepared superphosphate. Although soluble phosphoric acid 

 soon reverts in the soil, it is reasonable to assume that it is 

 more evenly distributed by reverting in the soil water after the 

 application than when reverted in the fertilizer before it is 

 used. 



