oFFiciAi, inspe;ctions 33. 87 



Results of Inspection. 



The inspection of the spring of 191 1 indicates that the fer- 

 tilizer situation in Maine is at present better than we have ever 

 found it before since the fertilizer trade assumed such large 

 proportions for this State. 



The inspectors who drew the samples were men of experi- 

 ence and the work was done very carefully. Almost without 

 exception each sample was drawn from ten different bags of 

 the same brand, thus insuring a representative sample. In the 

 laboratory whenever thie results obtained differed materially, 

 either above or below, from the guaranty, the work was re- 

 peated so that the final report is often the result of several 

 determinations. 



In order that a mixed fertilizer run uniform in composition 

 it is necessary that the work of mixing be done very exactly, 

 and where the brands are made in large quantities the care 

 involved is, of course, very great. Almost without exception 

 the companies doing business at the present time in Maine ex- 

 ercise great care in selecting their materials and in mixing 

 their goods, and while an occasional sample will vary somewhat 

 in some particular from the guaranty, the fact that they run 

 as near as they do shows that for the most part the goods on 

 the market are well manufactured. 



The goods of the follov/ing companies almost without ex- 

 ception ran well above the guarantees, and may be passed with 

 few comments : American Agricultural Chemical Company, 

 Armour Fertilizer Company, Bowker Fertilizer Co., Buffalo 

 Fertilizer Company, E. D. Chittenden Company, Coe-Mortimer 

 Company, Essex Fertilizer Company, German Kali Works, Lis- 

 ter's Agricultural Chemical Company, Merrow Brothers, Mori- 

 son Brothers, National Fertilizer Company, New England Fer- 

 tilizer Company, Parmentor & Polsey Fertilizer Company, E. 

 W. Penley, Rogers & Hubbard Company, Sagadahoc Fertilizer 

 Company, Swift's Lowell Fertilizer Company, F. W. Tunnell 

 & Co., Tuscarora Fertilizer Company and Union Chemical 

 Works. 



While some of the above mentioned companies had a great 

 many different brands upon the market, all of these different 

 brands almost witliout exception were above the guarantees. 



