18 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



it was suggested to the writer by a gentleman of wide experience 

 in the manufacture of fertilizers, that potash in mixed fertilizers 

 disappears to some extent from soluble forms, or in other words, 

 that subsequent analysis fails to show all the soluble potash 

 which is mixed into a superphosphate. No facts are at hand to 

 support or discredit this view. 



In general it may be said that the analyses of manufac- 

 turer's samples, as shown in Bulletin No. 7 were in a majority 

 of cases a fairly safe representation of the goods that were 

 sampled in the market, excepting the somewhat remarkable deficit 

 in potash. 



In some instances, however, the goods sampled were seriously 

 below the manufacturer's sample. 



It is of interest to members of the Grange to note that a sample 

 was taken of the fertilizers purchased by contract of the Bowker 

 Fertilizer Co. The contract guaranteed 2.50 per cent, nitrogen, 

 12 per cent, total and 8 per cent, available phosphoric acid, and 

 4 per cent, potash. The analysis shows 2.62 per cent, nitrogen, 

 13.48 per cent, total and 8.67 per cent, available phosphoric acid 

 and 3.66 per cent, potash. The sample selected exceeds the 

 guarantee in nitrogen and phosphoric acid and falls below in 

 potash. 



It only remains for purchasers to carefully examine the facts for 

 each brand and each manufacturer, and govern themselves accord- 

 ingly. While manufacturers may claim that they cannot furnish 

 a single sample that shall represent with reasonable accuracy the 

 entire bulk of a particular brand for a season, a confession that 

 they cannot do this within the same limits of exactness which are 

 applied to the purchase of other standard commodities would be 

 a serious indictment of present methods in vogue in the fertilizer 

 trade, and would constitute a very good reason why farmers 

 should purchase chemicals where a safe guarantee can certainly 

 be given. 



Maine State College, ) 

 Okono, Me., Sept. 15, 1894. f 



