INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL 

 FERTILIZERS 



This bulletin is a report of the results obtained in the 

 inspection of commercial fertilizers for the year 1924 car- 

 ried out under the direction of the Honorable Andrew L. 

 Felker, Commissioner of Agriculture. The State Inspector, 

 Mr. Eugene D. Sanborn, visited practically every section 

 of the state and collected samples of 115 different brands. 



In 1923 out of a total of 101 brands analyzed, 20, or 

 approximately 20 per cent, were low analysis fertilizers 

 containing less than a total of 14 pounds of plant food per 

 100 pounds. This year there is a slight improvement. 

 Only 18 brands out of a total of 115, or approximately 

 16 per cent, are low analysis fertilizers. 



There were more serious deficiencies in guaranteed 

 analysis this year than in 1923. These deficiencies indicate 

 the importance of studying this bulletin and buying from 

 those companies whose fertilizers meet their guarantee. 



The prices during the past year were very similar to 

 those of 1923. The average prices of some of the brands 

 were cheaper while those of others were slightly higher. 

 An examination of Table 1 shows the importance of select- 

 ing your fertilizer according to the cost per pound of plant 

 food rather than according to the cost per ton. The lowest 

 price per ton fertilizer may be the highest price per pound 

 of plant food. In the 1-8-2 fertilizer the cost of nitrogen per 

 pound was almost three times as great as in the 4-8-4 brands. 

 Ask for high analysis fertilizer. It will pay. Do you con- 

 sider the actual plant food value of the fertiliser when you 

 buy? The object of the following discussion is to aid you 

 in purchasing fertilizers. Use it when you buy fertilizer! 

 The following discussion of the meaning of the analysis and 

 the methods of calculating relative values are given to aid 



