24 



brands have shown a commercial shortage amounting to over 50 

 cents per ton. They are: 



Armour Fertilizer Works, Muriate of Potash No. 978. Potash 

 found 41.88%, guaranteed 48%. 



Bowker Fertilizer Company, Muriate of Potash No. 227-266-488. 

 Potash fotmd 47.40%, guaranteed 49%. 



It has been pointed out through correspondence with Dr. H. A. 

 Huston, Secretary of the German KaH Works, that muriate of pot- 

 ash has given some trouble due to its tendency to absorb moisture 

 from the atmosphere. This would cause the material to weigh con- 

 siderably more and the piuchaser would get all of the potash he 

 was entitled to, and yet the analysis would show an apparent short- 

 age. A test made on muriate of potash shipped by the German 

 Kali Works showed an apparent shortage of .32% potash. In 

 order to test the statement made by the Potash Syndicate, at our 

 request weights of all the unbroken packages of muriate of potash 

 were made by a local agent, who found them to vary between 206 

 and 207 pounds. According to Dr. Husron an empty bag will 

 weigh about 1)4, pounds and the sack and contents will weigh 2013^ 

 pounds when it leaves Gennany. This would indicate an absorp- 

 tion of moisture, and according to our analysis which gave 49.68% 

 potash would show that each bag contained 102.59 pounds of ac- 

 tual potash, equivalent to 51.29% assuming, of course, that the 

 salt carried the same moisture content as when it left the mines in 

 Germany. The tendency of this salt to absorb moisture may ac- 

 count in a measure for the low tests shown on the Bowker brand 

 mentioned above, which had a moistiu-e content of 1.85%. 



Three samples of kainit have been analyzed and 

 Kainit. foimd well up to the guarantee. The pound of 



actual potash from kainit has cost 4.34 cents. 



Phosphoric Acid Compounds. 



Two samples of dissolved bone black have been 

 Dissolved analyzed and both showed a commercial short- 

 Bone age of over 50 cents per ton. The pound of 

 Black. available phosphoric acid from this sovirce has 

 cost on the average 6.11 cents. The two brands 

 are: 



The American Agricultural Chemical Co., Brand No. 232. Sol- 

 uble phosphoric acid found 10.91%, guaranteed 13%; reverted 

 phosphoric acid found 1.82%, guaranteed 2%; insoluble phos- 

 phoric acid found .92%, guaranteed 1%. The company procured 

 and analyzed the duplicate sample left with the agent by our in- 

 spectors and found in addition to the phosphoric acid present 

 3.10% potash and .3% nitrogen. A statement from the factory 



