INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 



Made for the 

 State Department of Agriculture 



The inspection of commercial fertilizers reported in this bulletin was 

 made under the direction of the Honorable Perley I. Fitts, Commissioner of 

 Agriculture. Mr. George H. Laramie, Fertilizer Control Supervisor, and Mr. 

 Harold W. Ayer, Inspector, collected samples of 114 brands of mixed fertilizer 

 and fertilizer materials which were offered for sale by dealers or had been 

 delivered to consumers during the year ending June, 1951. The general 

 character of the brands sampled is shown by the following classification : 



Complete fertilizer 68 



Phosphoric acid and potash 10 



Superphosphate 9 



Nitrate of soda 2 



Ammonium nitrate 2 



Ammonium sulphate 1 



Muriate of potash 5 



Ground bone 6 



Natural manures 8 



Tankage 1 



Urea 1 



Cyanamide 1 



THE FERTILIZER LAW 



The chief purpose of the official inspection required by the fertilizer law 

 is to protect the consumer against the misbranded products which doubtless 

 would soon appear on the market if the sale of the fertilizer was not under state 

 regulation. The purchaser of fertilizer or fertilizer materials should acquaint 

 himself with the full text of the law. He should not accept from the dealer 

 any bag of fertilizer which is not tagged and guaranteed in compliance with the 

 law. If he does so, it is at his own risk. 



The law governing the guarantees and labeling of commercial fertilizers 

 or fertilizer materials follows: 



"Every lot or parcel of commercial fei'tilizer or fertilizer material sold or 

 offered or exposed for sale within this state shall be accompanied by a plainly 

 printed statement, clearly and truly certifying the number of net pounds of fer- 

 tilizer in the package ; the name, brand or trademark under which the fertilizer is 

 sold; the name and address of the manufacturer or importer; the location of the 

 factory; and a chemical analysis stating the minimum percentage of nitrogen, of 

 available phosphoric acid and of water-soluble potash expressed in whole numbers. 



"No fertilizer or fertilizer material containing the three essential fertilizing 

 elements, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash may be sold or offered for sale 

 if the total minimum plant food nutrients contained therein is less than fourteen 

 per cent by weight, provided however that natural animal and bird manures 

 shall be excepted from the provisions of this section." 



Copies of the full text of the law may be obtained from the Fertilizer Con- 

 trol Supervisor, State House, Concord, N. H. Inquiries concerning the law 



