FERTILIZERS AND AGRICULTURAL LIME 17 



The usual analysis is for total nitrogen and total phosphoric acid, and in most 

 cases the product was up to the guarantee in this respect. Basing the purchase 

 on the usual analysis, therefore, the purchaser would buy the material as genunie 

 bone meal as represented, unless there was reason to suspect its nature because 

 of other factors. 



A large number of the sales of bone meal in Massachusetts are generally un- 

 recorded cash sales of one or two bags or less. In such cases payment of rebate 

 to the retail purchaser is impossible. However, some sales are in quantity large 

 enough to be recorded. In these instances it is the policy of the Control Service 

 to insist upon payment of any rebate due to the retail purchaser. This rebate is 

 always based on the retail selling price of the material found deficient or adul- 

 terated. 



In order to arrive at a satisfactory evaluation of the adulterated bone meal 

 under discussion it was necessary to determine its approximate average composi- 

 tion. Analysis of all bone meal samples collected during the 1945 season gave 

 the following data: 



Average 29 samples Average 42 samples 



Adulterated Bone Meal Unadulterated Bone Meal 



Total nitrogen 2.56 



Water insoluble nitrogen 0.54 



Percentage of total nitrogen as water 



insoluble 21.09 



Total phosphoric acid 25.62 



Sulfur 2.32 



Fluorine 1.92 



Nitrogen from ammonia and/or urea 1.90 



Using the neutral ammonium citrate procedure prescribed for the determina- 

 tion of available phosphoric acid in mixed fertilizers and superphosphates, the 

 apparent average available phosphoric acid content of adulterated bone meal was 

 found to be 6.74%; unadulterated bone meal, 15.01%. 



The following calculations were used in determining the average composition 

 of the adulterated bone meal and the average rebate due the retail purchasers of 

 this product: 



21.09 "=" 85.80 = 24,58 average percentage of bone meal in adulterated 

 mixtures. Based on average percentage of total nitrogen as water in- 

 soluble nitrogen in unadulterated bone meal. 



1.90 — .18 = 1.72 percentage of nitrogen from sulfate of ammonia and/ 

 or urea. In most cases this nitrogen was from sulfate of ammonia. For 

 calculation of average rebate it was assumed that all of this nitrogen 

 was from sulfate of ammonia. 



1.72 H- 20.50 = 8.34 average percentage of sulfate of ammonia in 

 adulterated bone meal. 



100 — 32.92 (percentage of sulfate of ammonia + bone meal) = 67.08 

 average percentage of phosphate rock in adulterated bone meal. This 

 indicates the use of phosphate rock containing about 3.00% fluorine 

 which is about the normal fluorine content of domestic rock usually used 

 in the manufacture of superphosphate. 



