THE FERTILIZER INSPECTION IN 1902. 



In accordance with the Public Statutes, samples of the dif- 

 ferent brands of fertilizers licensed to be sold in this state were 

 collected under the supervision of the secretary of the state 

 board of agriculture, Hon. N. J. Bachelder. The analyses of 

 the samples were made at the New Hampshire College Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station, under the direction of its chem- 

 ist, Mr. F. W. Morse. Mr. H. M. Lee, of the New Hampshire 

 College, assisted in collecting the samples, and Messrs. L. A. 

 Hill, W. W. Braman, and A. L. Sullivan performed the 

 analytical work. 



In the course of the inspection forty-eight different agencies 

 were visited by Mr. Lee, located in the following towns : 

 Dover, Portsmouth, Milford, Keene, Nashua, Lancaster, Twin 

 Mountain, Whitefield, Littleton, Colebrook, Plymouth, Mere- 

 dith, Rochester, Milton, Manchester, and Stratham. 



The collection of samples was unusually difficult this year, 

 because many of the merchants had abandoned the trade in 

 fertilizers and consequently a large majority of the agencies 

 were held by farmers, which necessitated much more travel 

 and time than in previous years. This condition of the trade 

 was unlocked for, and prevented the gathering of samples of 

 a few brands because the goods were used before the agen- 

 cies were reached by the inspector. 



The fertilizers are in many cases not shipped into New 

 Hampshire until April, which necessitates the collection of 

 samples between then and planting time. The employment 

 of more field agents during the coming season will, however, 

 meet these conditions without materially increasing the ex- 

 pense of the work. 



Eighty-one brands of licensed fertilizers were sampled and 

 analyzed. Seven of the fertilizers were deficient in potash, 

 two were deficient in available phosphoric acid, one in total 

 phosphoric acid, and one in nitrogen. This is an excellent 

 showing, since in no case did this deficiency in one constitu- 



V^A^'O 



