Circular No. tJ o July 1907 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



DEPARTMENT OF PLANT AND ANIMAL CHEMISTRY. 



THE SAMPLING AND SENDING OF FERTILIZERS, SOILS AND 

 FEED STUFFS FOR FREE EXAMINATION. 



It is important that parties who desire to have material examined 

 should take particular pains in sampling, packing and forwarding, in 

 order that the results obtained may represent the average 

 quality of the goods sampled, and that no gain or loss in moisture 

 may take place during transportation. The station reserves the right 

 to reject unsatisfactory samples, as well as those not accompanied by 

 the necessary information, and to publish all free analyses if the 

 circumstances warrant it. In the package containing the sample 

 should be placed the name and address of the sender, character 

 of the material, name of the brand, of whom purchased and if possible 

 the guarantee tag or a copy of the guarantee (See special form to 

 be filled out). 



METHOD OF SAMPLING. 



(a) Material in Bulk. 



In sampling ashes, grain or other bulk material, numerous por" 

 tions should be taken preferably by a tube, or by means of a small 

 scoop, or in double handfuls from various parts of the heap, placed 

 on a thick, smooth piece of clean paper and thoroughly mixed ; from 

 this mixture should be drawn a sample of about one pound, which 

 should be placed in a clean bottle or tin box together with the neces- 

 sary data, tightly stoppered or covered and sent to the Station by 

 mail or prepaid express. 



(b) Material in Bags, 



Samples should be drawn from 10 per cent, of the number of bags 

 present, or in case of small lots from 10 different bags, preferably by 

 means of a tube run the entire length of each bag. A reasonably fair 



