FERTILIZER INSPECTION. 



Chas. D. Woods, Director. 



J. M. BarTIvSTT, Chemist in Charge of FertiHzer Analysis. 



The law regulating the sale of commercial fertilizers in this 

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

 tams the analyses of the samples received from the manufac- 

 turer, guaranteed to represent, within reasonable limits, the 

 goods Lo 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. 



In the tables which follow the discussion there are given the 

 results of the analyses of the manufacturers' samples of licensed 

 brands. The tables include all the brands which have been 

 licensed to February i, 1906. Dealers are cautioned against 

 handling any brands not given in this list without first writing 

 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. 



The chief use of fertilizers is to supply plant-food. It is good 

 farming to make the most of the natural resources of the soil 

 and of the manures produced on the farm, and to depend upon 

 artificial fertilizers only to furnish what more is needed. It is 

 not good economy to pay high prices for materials which the 

 soil may itself yield, but it is good economy to supply the lack- 

 ing ones in the cheapest way. The rule in the purchase of costly 

 commercial fertilizers should be to select those that supply, in 

 the best forms and at the lowest cost, the plant-food which the 

 crop needs and the soil fails to furnish. 



Plants differ widely with respect to their capacities for gath- 

 ering their food from soil and air; hence the proper fertilizer 

 in a given case depends upon the crop as well as upon the soil. 

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