OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS 29. 1 5 



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 make-up. 



The user of fertilizers should carefully study the results of 

 the analyses given in this bulletin. The failure of a single 

 sample to conform to its analysis may be no serious fault of 

 the manufacturer as it may happen that for some reason the 

 sample which was examined by the Station did not fairly repre- 

 sent the goods. While only experienced men draw the Station 

 samples, long experience has taught us that even exercising the 

 greatest care possible there may be mistakes on our part as well 

 as on the part of the manufacturer. If the brand of goods that 

 a consumer has used or thinks of using is found to be deficient 

 as shown by the analysis reported in this bulletin, the analysis 

 for the preceding year should be looked into. If many of the 

 different brands made by the company whose fertilizer a man 

 has been using do not conform within reasonable limits to their 

 guaranteed analysis he should carefully consider the advisa- 

 bility of getting goods from other manufacturers. 



While on the whole the analyses here reported are satisfac- 

 tory, there are a few instances that seem to demand special 

 comment. 



The Atlantic Fertilizer Company of Baltimore, Maryland, 

 came into the State this year for the first time and licensed a 

 brand called Rawson & Hodges Peerless Brand Fertilizer. The 

 Station inspectors found this goods only at one place, in Presque 

 Isle. Consequently only one sample was obtained. While this 

 was up in potash and considerably above in phosphoric acid, 

 it was materially below in nitrogen. It may have been that 

 these goods were not thoroughly mixed and the shortage may 

 be thus accounted for. 



In 1909 the goods of the Buffalo Fertilizer Company, Bufifalo, 

 New York, (the goods as sold in Maine being manufactured at 

 I-Ioulton) were practically in accord with their guarantees. The 

 samples reported this year were taken at the factory and in the 



