lO MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9IO. 



There has been no reason for thinking at any time during the 

 past 15 years that commercial fertilizers have been offered in 

 Maine with fraudulent intent. The companies that have been 

 doing business for many years have learned to manufacture 

 commercial fertilizers so that they correspond for the most part 

 quite closely to their professed analysis. A study of the an- 

 alyses here reported will show that such companies as well as 

 some of the newer companies are able to manufacture their 

 goods so that the samples found by the Station representatives 

 agree very closely with their professed analysis. It is perhaps 

 not clearly understood by the user of commercial fertilizers 

 what this means in the way of care on the part of the manu- 

 facturer. 



Usually the sample by the Station representatives is taken at 

 the warehouse from 8 to 10 packages. The samples thus taken 

 are carefully mixed and a pint jar filled from the mixture. 

 When the jar is received at the laboratory the goods are again 

 sampled. The amount which is actually used by the chemist 

 is only a small fraction of an ounce. Thus it happens that the 

 very small amount analyzed by the chemist represents many 

 tons. That there is substantial agreement is high testimony not 

 only to the honesty of the fertilizer manufacturer but to the 

 care with which his goods are manufactured. 



The increase of home mixing in the State has brought it about 

 that there are some people now engaged in making fertilizers 

 for commercial purposes who are not as efficiently equipped 

 either in their knowledge of the business or in their facilities 

 as are the older manufacturers. It is perfectly possible to accu- 

 rately compound fertilizers with a minimum of machinery so 

 that the goods will be evenly mixed and in good mechanical 

 condition. In order to do this, however, the person manu- 

 facturing the goods must understand what he is about and 

 know accurately the analysis of the materials that are entering 

 into the makeup. 



While on the whole the analyses here reported are exceed- 

 ingly satisfactory there are a few instances in the case of goods 

 that are apparently dry mixed that are quite otherwise. These 

 cases are being investigated under the law and it does not seem 

 proper to discuss them at any length or the brands and makers 

 by name until after they have been given the fullest oppor- 

 tunity to present evidence that they may have. Reports have 



