122 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1917. 



THE FERTILIZER LAW 



The law requires the registration of all commercial fer- 

 tilizers carrying nitrogen (ammonia), phosphoric acid, potash 

 and lime with the Commissioner of Agriculture previous to their 

 being offered for sale. Each package shall carry a plainly printed 

 statement showing the net weight, the name of the goods and 

 the maker, and a chemical analysis showing the minimum per- 

 centages of available nitrogen (ammonia), available and total 

 phosphoric acid and potash and in the case of agricultural lime 

 limestone, marl, etc., the minimum percentage of lime. The 

 full text of the law will be sent on application to the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture, Augusta, Maine. ■ 



THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSES 



Because of the demand made by the war upon chemists 

 for war purposes it has been impracticable to keep the usual 

 chemical staff at the Station and this resulted in a delay in com- 

 pleting the analyses. Illness in the clerical force of the Com- 

 missioner caused delay in returning the analysis reports with 

 names of brands, makers and guaranties. And an entire change 

 in office clerical help at the Station due to the former clerks 

 being called to Washington by the Federal Food Administra- 

 tion made a delay in the tabulation of the results. From these 

 three causes there is an unavoidable delay of weeks in the issue 

 of this number of Official Inspections. 



The tables giving the analyses of the samples collected by 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture during the year 191 7 follow. 

 The samples were sent to the Station without description other 

 than an identifying number. The data given in the left hand 

 page tables and the guarantees were furnished after the analyses 

 were completed. 



The table on the left hand pages gives the Station number 

 of the sample, the name, manufacturer and place when col- 

 lected. 



The table on the right hand pages gives the Station number 

 of the samples and the detailed analyses. By means of the Sta- 

 ■ tion numbers the two tables are readily compared, 



