Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1877-08-24
To the Board OF Management Of the
Montgomery County Agricultural
Society.


The Committee appointed at tie annual
meeting of the Society, on the 18Th OF Jan
uary last, to obtain an analysis of such of the
manipulated an3 commercial fertilizers as are
used in the county, by the meinbers OF the
Society, respectfully offer the following report :
Impressed with the importance o. the object
entrusted to our charge, we have eudeavored
to give il due consideration. Ia procuring a
Chemist to make the desired Investigations,
we directed our inquiries on the subject to
persons fayorably known as being engaged in
such researches; at Scientific Institutions in
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and
Georgia.
After examining the reports TINS obtained,
and comparing the offers or estimated costs
made BY the different Chemists who had cor
responded with us, we concluded to emplo
DR.. r L Packard, a gentleman engaged at the
time as Assistant Chemist in the Agricultural
Department at Washington, D. c., 10 make
the required analyses.
The Committee obtained from several farm
ers in the county, whose names are given in the
accompanying tabulated statement, samples Of
the fertilizers which they had purchased, care
being taken to procure them in the precise
condition in which they are used. The name OF
the person or firm from whom they purchased
the name Of tho manufactures, the price charged
per ton, and the amount Of iertlizng princi-
pies claimed to exist in each article were also
required.
Ofthese samples, ten specimens were selected,
a list OF them made out, in which each article
was designated by number. These specimens
with their numerical esignations only except
in two instances, were carried by two Of the
Committee to the Agricultural Department
and delivered to De- Packard, and his exami-
nation Of each requested, specially as to
PhosphOric Acid and Ammonia. The amount
Of the appropriation by The Society placed at
our disposal, being inadequate to pursue the
anal yses further. No ihtimHion was given
10 DR.. Packard as to the name Of any of the
articles, except Nitrate Of Potash, and Dis
solve Bone, nor the names OF the manufhc-
turers Of, or dealers in any OF them given. nor
the names Of the farmers from whom the
specimens were obtained
Owing to Dr.. Packard other engagements
the examinations proceeded very slowly, far
more 50 than We desired or expected. Our re-
port has been delayed also by the difficulty
of getting all the members Of the committee
together since the data for it were received,
harvest intervening. The accompanying tab
ulated statement was carefully prepared by w.
farquhar Of the committee from the special
reports made by DR.. Packard, which are here
With transmitted
In order that the Ggures in this statement
representing "es,imaied actual values" mny
have their proper significance, it is necessary
to observe that the estimated values of these
fertilizers are based by Dir Packard upon the
values ascrihed to the active feril ling nEre-
dents they contain as given in Prof Goess-
mans report 10 the Massachusetts Board o!
Agriculture for 1876. This ingredient valua-
ton varies at different times and places. -
These estimated values must be regarded we
think, only as approximations as to real
values. They leave out the question the bene-
fetal effects of several ingredients not usually
mentioned in the analysis, but which are not
wholly inert, some Of these not being soluble
in the analyzing process, are known to heroine
so in the soil, and to return value to the
farmer at asubsequcni period