1913.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 117 



The Massachusetts station intends to conduct some experi- 

 ments with this fertilizer the coming season. 



Two samples of Stonemeal, manufactured by the Stonemeal 

 Fertilizer Company of Paterson, j^. J., who have an office in 

 Springfield, Mass., were collected and analyzed. Although this 

 material contains a little more potash and phosphoric acid than 

 did the 'Kew Mineral Fertilizer, yet it must be placed in the 

 same class. 



(h) Lime Compounds. 



Our new fertilizer law was drafted to include the inspection 

 of lime used for agricultural purposes. The year 1912 marks 

 the first official inspection of lime which has ever been made in 

 the State.i 



Forty-four samples representing 21 brands were taken from 

 36 different agents in 2-1 dift'erent towns; 25 analyses have been 

 made. 



Lime for agricultural purposes includes slaked or hydrated 

 lime, caustic or burnt lime, carbonate of lime, such as ground 

 limestone, marl and wood ashes ; also gypsum or land plaster 

 (sulfate of lime). Detailed results of the analyses will be found 

 in our Fertilizer Bulletin, including the actual cost of 100 

 pounds of calcium and magnesium oxides derived from different 

 sources. 



{{) Free Analysis of By-products, Fertilizers and Soils. 



Two hundred and sixty-three different substances have been 

 received and analyzed from farmers, farmer organizations and 

 the various departments of the experiment station. The mate- 

 rials may be classed as follows : fertilizers and by-products used 

 as fertilizers, 200 ; soils, 40 ; lime compounds, 13 ; ash analysis 

 of plants, 8; miscellaneous products, 2. 



Many of these materials have been sampled by our regular 

 inspectors ; some were taken by the party requesting the analy- 

 sis by means of a sampling tube forwarded from the station 

 for that purpose. In all cases the samples were drawn accord- 

 ing to directions furnished from this office. It may be assumed, 

 therefore, that the samples were representative of the products 



> For a discussion of the rational use of lime, ask for Bulletin No. 137. 



