Circular No. 32. July 1,1911 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 



DEPARTMENT OF PLANT AND ANIMAL CHEMISTRY 



J. B. LINDSEY, Chemist. 



AN ACT TO REGULATE THE SALE OF COMMERCIAL 

 FERTILIZERS. (Chapter 388, 19 11.) 



Be it enacted, etc., as folloivs : 



Section i. No commercial fertilizer shall be sold or offered 

 Statements to be or exposed for sale in this commonwealth without a plainly 

 printed on label printed label accompanying it, displayed in the manner 

 accompanying the hereinafter set forth, and truly stating the following par- 

 fertilizer, ticulars : — 



I. The number of pounds of the fertilizer sold or offered 

 or exposed for sale. 



2. The name, brand or trademark under which the fertilizer is sold, and, in 

 the case of agricultural lime, its particular form. 



3. The name and principal address of the manufacturer, importer or other 

 person putting the fertilizer on the market in this commonwealth. 



4. The minimum percentage of each of the following constituents which the 

 fertilizer may contain : (a) nitrogen, (b) phosphoric acid soluble in distilled 

 water, (c) available phosphoric acid, (d) total phosphoric acid, (e) potash solu- 

 ble in distilled water ; except that in the case of undissolved bone, untreated 

 phosphate rock, tankage, pulverized natural manures, the ground seeds of plants, 

 and wood ashes, when sold unmixed with other substances, the minimum per- 

 centage of total phosphoric acid therein may be stated in place of the percent- 

 ages of soluble and available phosphoric acid ; and except that in the case of 

 agricultural lime the label shall truly state the following : (a) minimum and 

 maximum percentage of total lime, (b) minimum and maximum percentage of total 

 magnesia, (c) minimum percentage of lime and magnesia combined as carbon- 

 ates, (d) minimum percentage of lime sulphate in gypsum or land plaster. 



5. If any part of the nitrogen contained in the fertilizer is derived from pul- 

 verized leather, raw, roasted or steamed ; or from untreated hair, wool waste, 

 peat, garbage tankage, or from any inert material whatsoever, the label shall 

 truly state the specific material or materials from which such part of the nitrogen 

 is derived. 



Section 2. When any fertilizer is sold or offered or ex- 

 Concerning attach- posed for sale in packages, the label shall be affixed in a 

 ment of label. conspicuous place on the outside thereof. When any fer- 

 tilizer, other than the product of gas-houses, known as gas- 

 house lime, is offered or exposed for sale in bulk the label shall be affixed in a 

 conspicuous place to the bin or other enclosure in which the fertilizer is con- 

 tained but need not state the number of pounds thereof. And when any fer- 

 tilizer other than gas-house lime aforesaid is sold in bulk the label shall be 

 affixed in a conspicuous place to the car or other vehicle in which the fertilizer is 

 shipped or delivered and shall state the number of pounds thereof. When any 

 fertilizer is sold in packages furnished by the purchaser the seller shall furnish 

 the labels therefor. 



