FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
131 
worthy Commissioner of Agriculture at 
Tallahassee will send you copies of the 
fertilizer law and bulletins containing just 
what we are looking for. The law al¬ 
lows us to have the fertilizer analyzed 
free of cost, so we need never be in doubt 
of what is sent us; but read instructions 
* carefully and send samples for analysis 
just as they direct. Florida is the only 
state in the Union that gives this chance 
for free analysis. The out-of-state fer¬ 
tilizer companies have striven hard to 
have the Legislature strike out this 
clause. We, as horticulturists, ought to 
see that the law remains as it is. The 
inspection costs us an exceedingly small 
amount. I say “costs us” for since the 
fertilizer companies add the inspection 
fees to their expense accounts, we, who 
use the fertilizer, pay the bills, so why 
should a company object unless it wants 
to hide the true content of its product? 
The honest manufacturer is protected as 
well as the consumer. 
If the statements on the tag are proven 
untrue there is trouble ahead. Study the 
tag and believe exactly what it says. 
Don't think “animal matter" on the tag 
has to mean what is described in the pam¬ 
phlet. It means “animal matter” and 
probably the cheapest animal matter ob¬ 
tainable, or the description would be 
more explicit. Study the tag for all these 
points and doubt any obscurity; for trade 
• does not “hide its light under a bushel.” 
Well, if the materials are all right, let 
us see about the formula. It reads: Mois¬ 
ture, 8 to io per cent. “Ah ha!” says 
our neighbor, “Jones’ fertilizer has only 
5 to 8 per cent moisture. You must like 
to buy water!” 
We tell him with a superior air that 
one pays only for actual plant food when 
he buys fertilizer; and never “let on” 
that a few weeks ago we made the very 
same mistake ourselves. Next comes: 
“Ammonia, 4 to 5 per cent.” and we re¬ 
member that ammonia is sort of an in¬ 
flated nitrogen. Sounds like they give 
us more for our money, when they call 
it “Ammonia.” “Available Phosphoric 
Acid, 6 to 7 per cent.” That’s the phos¬ 
phoric acid we get. “Insoluble Phos¬ 
phoric Acid, 1 to 2 per cent.” That’s 
the phosphoric acid, we don’t know sure 
whether we get or not. “Potash, Actual 
K 2 0 , 5 to 6 per cent. H’m, this has it 
all in “Potash, Actual K 2 0 ." Another 
calls it “Potash Actual,” and another 
“Potash K 2 0 but we have found out 
it’s all the same. 
Those scientific fellows would have a 
good laugh could they look into our 
minds and read our “translation” of the 
formula; but so long as we understand 
the meaning, our crude expression does 
not matter. 
Now, let us see what this ton of fer¬ 
tilizer is worth. We have learned to use 
the smallest per cent, given; 4 to 5 per 
cent doesn’t guarantee a bit better content 
than a plain 4 per cent., so our formula 
is: 
Ammonia. 4 P er cent. 
Available Phosphoric Acid . . 6 per cent. 
Insoluble . 1 per cent. 
Potash . 5 per cent. 
Perhaps we “hate to figure,” but any 
of us can turn to the State Chemist’s 
work and read: “A unit is 20 lbs. or 1 
per cent, in a ton ” and find prices he 
gives per unit. 
Ammonia .$ 3 - 3 ° P er un L 
Available Phosphoric Acid 1.00 per unit 
Insoluble .20 per unit 
Potash . 1.10 per unit 
