
ae : 2 eRe ; 
New York AcricuttoraL Experiment Station. — 209 
and obnoxious. Horticulturists are familiar with many illus- 
trations which may be thus and only in such way explained, and — 
it is to be hoped that this field of investigation shall in the near 
_ ‘future receive greater attention, since, so far as I know it has as 

















$ : : ’ z o ; , ~ a : $3 x 
_ 2 ‘ - . ie a i ord 
yet received little attention, and is not unlikely to throw light 
upon many obscure points in connection with our agricultural 
experience. 
Commercial Fertilizers. 
During the past year there have been analyzed 247 different 
brands of fertilizers, the samples of which have been taken by 
an agent of the station. 
Besides these official samples, analyses have been made, so 
far as it has been possible to do so, of unofficial samples, sent in 
by different parties throughout the State, of fertilizers, marls, 
_. ashes and so forth, but, owing to the difficulty in securing a fair 
sample, unless one is informed as to the proper method of pro- 
cedure, as also owing to the fact that such unofficial samples do — 
not, in case such samples are not found to be up to the guar- 
anteed composition, offer the proper evidence desirable to warrant 
a prosecution of the parties selling such inferior products, it 
is very desirable that the work of analysis at the station should 
be confined to those samples only, collected by our duly appointed — 
and well-instructed agents, through whom it is intended to secure 
carefully selected specimens of every brand of fertilizer ofiercd 
for sale in any portion of the State. 
‘Thus far the analyses made appear to show not infrequent 
failures upon the part of manufactures and dealers to comply 
_ strictly with the requirements of the law, occasionally fertilizers 
: being found for sale containing no guaranteed composition upon 
the packages as the law directs; many samples also are found 
S where a deficiency in one constituent appears to have been made 
~ good in an increase of another beyond the amount guaranteed. 
It is hoped that all those knowing of the neglect of manufactur- ) 
ers or dealers to comply with any of the requirements of our 
a fertilizer law will at once give full information of such fact to 
27 
