REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 
I. REPORT OF ANALYSES OF COMMERCIAL 
FERTILIZERS FOR SPRING OF 1899.* 
L. L. Van Siyxe. 
SUMMARY. 
(1) Samples Collected. During the spring of 1899, the Sta- 
tion collected 866 samples of commercial fertilizers, representing 
646 different brands. Of these different brands, 482 were com- 
plete fertilizers; of the others, 70 contained phosphoric acid and 
potash without nitrogen; 36 contained nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid without potash; 7 contained nitrogen only; 37 contained 
phosphoric acid alone; and 14 contained potash salts only. 
(2) Nitrogen. The 482 brands of complete fertilizers con- 
tained nitrogen, varying in amount from 0.37 to 8.50 per ct., and 
averaging 2.04 per ct. The average amount of nitrogen found 
by the Station analysis exceeded the average guaranteed amount 
by 0.15. per ct., the guaranteed average being 1.89 per ct. and the 
average found being 2.04 per ct. 
In 871 brands of complete fertilizers, the amount of nitrogen 
- found was equal to or above the guaranteed amount, the excess 
varying from 0.01 to 2.27 per ct., and averaging 0.28 per ct. 
In 111 brands the nitrogen was below the guaranteed amount, 
the deficiency varying from 0.01 to 1.78 per ct., and averaging 
0.19 per ct. In 1038 cases, the deficiency was less than 0.5 per ct. 
The amount of water-soluble nitrogen varied from 0 to 4.43 
per ct. and averaged 0.80 per ct. 

* Partial reprint of Bulletin No. 160. 
