19 



"What you say of the presence of 21.6 percent of insoluble 

 matter as indicating that the material was not a bona fide sample 

 of sulfate of potash-magnesia but possibly high grade sulfate of 

 potash diluted with some foreign material to bring the test down, 

 is all news to us. If done at all it must have been done at the 

 mines in Germany before shipment. The foreign test note which 

 they furnished us seems correct in every particular. It gives, 

 by the way, 26.55 percent actual potash. We have taken the 

 matter up with our factory so as to be positively certain of the 

 identity of the particular lot from which your sample was drawn, 

 and as soon as we hear from them will lay the information you have 

 given us before the potash people." 



The statement of the Mapes' Company is, in our opinion true. 

 The case is probably similar to several which were detected last 

 year, and which proved to be cases where the mines in Germany 

 had reduced high grade sulfate of potash with sand in order to 

 fill orders for potash-magnesia sulfate, of which there was a tem- 

 porary shortage. Dr. Huston of the German Kali Works states 

 that the practice is not tolerated by his company and heavy ship- 

 ments have been returned at the expense of the mines furnishing 

 the material, and in all cases where this practice has been detected 

 heavy fines have also been imposed. 



As has been pointed out in previous bulletins, the practice is 

 an adulteration and the material is misbranded. Perhaps the 

 most serious feature of the case is the low magnesia test, although 

 of course the somewhat higher cost of the actual potash is an item 

 of great importance. The amount of material involved in this 

 particular case was not large, only 13^2 tons being bought by one 

 party for his own use. 



Fifteen analyses have been made representing ; 

 Muriate of thirty-one samples. The potash guarantee 



Potash. was maintained in all but one case and in this 



exception the commercial shortage was less 

 than 50 cents per ton. The average retail cash price has been 

 $42.58, and the calculated commercial valuation $43.83 per ton. 

 The pound of actual potash as muriate has cost on the average 

 4.13 cents. 



In the case of some deficiencies of potash in form of muriate 

 which occurred in last year's inspection, it was suggested by Dr. 

 Huston that possibly the salt had absorbed moisture from the at- 

 mosphere as it is more or less deliquescent in nature. An absorp- 

 tion of moisture would result in a lower analysis and an apparent 

 shortage in potash, and yet, in reality, the purchaser would get 

 all of the potash to which he was entitled. The moisture absorp- 

 tion would simply cause the material to weigh more, and instead 



