35 



doubtedly present as claimed, enough chlorine and soluble sul- 

 fates being present to account for the remainder of the potash 

 (.78% as muriate and 2.53% as sulfate). 



Ground Rock, Mineral Fertilizer or Stone Meal. 



The indications are that not much of this class of materials 

 has been sold in the Massachusetts markets. The inspectors 

 were not able to find it in the hands of agents, and it was probably 

 sold by the manufacturer through soliciting agents direct to the 

 farmer. 



A sample of New Mineral Fertilizer, manufactured by the 

 New Mineral Fertilizer Co., Boston, was taken by one of our in- 

 spectors from stock carried by the manufacturer. The analysis 

 of this showed the presence of .09% nitrogen, .38% total phos- 

 phoric acid and .10% water soluble potash. The calculated 

 commercial value of the material was 57 cents per ton. Extrav- 

 agant claims are made by the company for the fertilizing value 

 of the silica, chlorine, sulfur, soda, lime, magnesia, iron and 

 alumina which the material, like all rocks and soils, contains. 

 The ordinary soil usually contains an abundance of these elements 

 with the possible exception of lime. Assuming the ton price to 

 be the same as last year, ($17), a pound of nitrogen would have 

 cost $5.67, a pound of insoluble phosphoric acid 60 cents and a 

 pound of water soluble potash $1.27. 



Dr. Charles D. Woods, Director of the Maine Agricultural 

 Experiment Station has conducted field experiments with this 

 material.* The results of the experiment were stated as follows 

 by Director Woods: 



"It will be noted that both with the com and with the pota- 

 toes, there was a somewhat smaller ^'ield on the plots to which 

 New Mineral Fertilizer was applied than upon the plots which re- 

 ceived no fertilizer. The comparative yields seem to clearly 

 point out that there was no benefit from the use of the New Min- 

 eral Fertilizer." 



The Massachusetts station intends to conduct some experi- 

 ments with this fertilizer the coming season. 



Two samples of Stonemeal manufactured by the Stonemeal 

 Fertilizer Company of Paterson, New Jersey, who have an office 

 in Springfield, Massachusetts, were collected and analyzed. The 

 detailed results are listed under "Fertilizers for Private Use," 

 immediately following the registered brands. Although this 

 material contains a little more potash and phosphoric acid than 



* See description of the experiment in the American Fertilizer, Philadelphia, Pa., Vol. 

 XXXVII, No. 9. pp. 28-29. 



