25 



The summary in the first table gives the following 

 Summaries, information concerning each manufacturer : — the 



number of brands of complete fertilizer collected 

 and analyzed ; the number of brands in which all three of the essen- 

 tial ingredients of plant food are equal to the lower guai-antee ; the 

 number which do not show a commercial shortage, and includes 

 those fertilizers where a deficiency of any one element is offset com- 

 mercially by an excess of another. Another column shows the per 

 cent of the whole number of each company's complete fertilizers not 

 having a commercial shortage. The other three columns indicate the 

 number of brands deficient in one, two or in all three of the essential 

 elements of plant food. 



The summary in the table of ground bone, tankage and dry 

 ground fish gives nearly the same information but the column giving 

 the percentage number which do not show a commercial shortage is 

 not included. This was omitted on account of the small number of 

 brands of these raw materials licensed by each manufacturer. 



Of the 275 analyses of complete fertilizers published, 113 

 or about 41 per cent of the whole number failed to meet 

 the manufacturers' guarantee in some one or more particulars. In 

 many of these brands the deficiency is made up by an excess of 

 some one or more of the other ingredients. Some of the brands, 

 however, show a commercial shortage ranging from a few cents to 

 $13.50 per ton. A liquid fertilizer manufactured by the Eureka 

 Liquid Fertilizer Company, Boston, Mass., showed the greatest 

 shortage. Eighty-six brands were deficient in one. 23 in two and 

 4 in all three elements. 



The largest number of brands were deficient in nitrogen, the num- 

 ber being 70 ; 43 were deficient in potash and 28 were deficient in 

 phosphoric acid. 



Among the ground bones, tankages and fish, out of the 38 sam- 

 ples analyzed, 16 failed to meet the guarantee in nitrogen and 4 in 

 phosphoric acid. Only a few of these brands, however, showed a 

 commercial shortagre. 



