FERTILIZER INSPECTION. 



Chas D. Woods, Director. 

 J. M. Bartlett, Chemist in Charge of Fertilizer Analysis 



The law regulating the sale of commercial fertilizers in this 

 State calls for two bulletins each year. The first of these 

 contains the analyses of the samples received from the manu- 

 facturer, guaranteed to represent, within reasonable limits, the 

 goods to be placed upon the market later. The second bulletin 

 contains the analyses of the samples collected in the open market 

 by a representative of the Station. 



The figures which are given as the percentages of valuable 

 ingredients guaranteed by the manufacturers are the minimum 

 percentages of the guarantee. If, for instance, the guarantee is 

 2 to 3 per cent of nitrogen, it is evident that the dealer cannot 

 be held to have agreed to furnish more than 2 per cent and so 

 this percentage is taken as actual guarantee. The figures under 

 the head of "found" are those showing the actual composition of 

 the samples. 



In 1894 this Station stopped printing trade valuations. The 

 chief reason for so doing was that commercial values are not the 

 same as agricultural values. Trade values are determined by 

 market conditions, the agricultural value is measured by the 

 increase of crop. Printing trade valuations increases the 

 tendency, already far too strong, to purchase fertilizers on the 

 ton basis without regard to the content or form of plant food. 

 The agricultural value of a fertilizer depends upon the amount 

 and form of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash it contains 

 and the use to which it is to be put. The purchase of a fertil- 

 izer is really the purchase of one or more of these ingredients, 

 and the thing of first importance is not the trade value of a ton, 

 but the kinds and pounds of plant food contained in a ton. 



