36 



did the New Mineral Fertilizer, yet it must^be placed in the same 

 class. 



Lime Compounds. 



Our new fertilizer law was drafted to include the inspection of 

 lime used for agricultural purposes. This is, therefore, the first 

 official inspection of lime which has ever been made in the state.** 

 The lime samples were collected by the same 

 Collection agents who sampled the commercial fertilizers 



of Samples. and the same methods were followed. Forty- 



four samples representing 21 brands were 

 taken from 36 different agents in 24 different towns. 



Twenty-five analyses of lime products have 

 Analysis of been made ; they have been listed in the tables 



Samples. under two heads: 1. Agricultural Limes 



which include the slaked or hydrated limes, 

 caustic or burnt lime and carbonates of lime (such as ground lime- 

 stone, marl and lime ashes). 



2. Gypsum, land plaster or sulfate of lime.* 

 The analyses as published show not only the percentage of 

 calcium and magnesium oxides present, but the probable propor- 

 tions of the various forms of these two constituents present in each 

 sample. This enables the purchaser to select the more active 

 forms such as caustic and hydrated (slaked) limes, or the more 

 mild carbonate. Wherever the retail cash price of the brand has 

 been secured, a calculation has been made showing the actual 

 cost of 100 pounds of calcium and magnesium oxides. 



Eight cases have been found where the lime 



Quality of guarantee has not been maintained ; only one 



Lime. of these, however, was serious, some of the 



deficiencies being made up by an overrun of 



magnesia. 



In one sample of gypsum put out by the Cement and Plaster 

 Co., Fayette ville,. N. Y., 94.33% of calcium sulfate was guaran- 

 teed and only 59.38% found. The sample however, showed the 

 presence of 12.23% magnesium carbonate and 7.57% calcium car- 

 bonate. Even counting these materials to offset the shortage 

 there still remains a considerable deficiency. 



The tables of analyses show the lime products to vary con- 

 siderably in chemical composition. The cost of 100 pounds of 

 calcium and magnesium oxides also varies widely, ranging in the 

 agricultural limes from 33 to 92 cents, and in the brands of gyp- 

 sum from S3 cents to $1.69. 



**For a discussion of the rational use of lime, ask for Bulletin No. 137. 

 ♦For use, see Bulletin 137, page 11. 



