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 113 brands of mixed fertilizer and fertilizer ma- 

 terials which were offered for sale by dealers or had been delivered to consumers 

 during the year ending June, 1952. The general character of the brands sampled 

 is shown by the following classification: 



Complete fertilizer 62 



Phosphoric acid and potash 15 



Superphosphate 11 



Nitrate of Soda 2 



Ammonium nitrate 4 



M ur iate of potash 3 



Ground bone 4 



Natural manures 9 



Tankage 1 



Urea 1 



Milorganite 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 regula- 

 tion. 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 fertilizer 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 

 fertilizer 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 Control 

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

 matters relative to the registration of brands should be addressed to his office. 



The value of a fertilizer depends mainly upon its content of available plant 

 food, particularly nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. Research workers in 



