2 N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 283 



The purchaser's cooperation in refusing to buy a 

 fertilizer which does not conform to the law in every 

 respect, will not only help in the enforcement of the 

 law but will at the same time afford himself its pro- 

 tection. Whether or not the purchaser familiarizes 

 himself with the complete text of the fertilizer law, 

 he should not accept from the dealer any bag of ferti- 

 lizer which is not tagged and guaranteed in compliance, 

 with the law. The law governing these matters fol- 

 lows : 



"Every lot or parcel of commercial fertilizer or ferti- 

 lizer material sold or offered or exposed for sale within 

 this state shall be accompanied by a plainly printed 

 statement, clearly and truly certifying the number of 

 net pounds of fertilizer in the package, the name, brand 

 or trademark under which the fertilizer is sold, the 

 name and address of the manufacturer or importer, the 

 location of the factory, and a chemical analysis stating 

 the minimum percentage of nitrogen, of available phos- 

 phoric acid and of water soluble potash expressed in 

 whole numbers. 



"No fertilizer or fertilizer material containing the 

 three essential fertilizing elements, nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and potash may be sold or offered for sale 

 if the total minimum plant food nutrients contained 

 therein is less than fourteen per cent by weight, pro- 

 vided however that natural animal and bird manures 

 shall be excepted from the provisions of this section." 



The chief purpose of the fertilizer law is to protect 

 the consumer against the low grade products which 

 would doubtless soon appear upon the market if the 

 distribution and sale of fertilizer was not under state 

 regulation. The value of a fertilizer depends mainly 

 upon its content of available plant food, particularly 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. The presence of 

 these constituents can only be determined by a chemical 



