Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-01
Analyses Of Fertilizers.

mercial fertilizers affoId SO good an
opportunity for adulteratiOn and
fraud, that II has been thought wise
in many Of the States, our own among
tie number, 10 re-protect those who
buy and use them, and remove temp
tstion from those who make aud deal
In them, by enactments requiring
that each package offered for sale
shall have plainly printed thereon a
chemical analyses of its contents.
Th, prime object Of this published
analyses Is, Of course, TO protect the
farmer from fraud, by enabling him
u know thai he gets what he pays
for, but II may also be Of great use
as an aid in comparing the different
brands, and determining which one
OF the many is best adapted TO the
wants of his particular soil and crop
In order TO help the average farmer
TO a better understanding of this use
of the analyses, Prof. \. w. LORD,
chemist for the State Board of Ag-
riculture of Ohio, has prepared a
brief explanation which Secretary
Chamberlain embodies in the cnrrent
monthly crop report just issued by
The Board. The use OF this class of
fertilizer is growing very rapidly in
our county, and as our laws upon
the subject are yery similar to those
OF Ohio, and the measures sold in
both States under their laws are the
same We take the liLeIty OF transfer.
ring TO our columns, Prof Lords
article entire:
The fertilizer analyses published In
these reports need a few words of
explanation to render them more
iully servic, able 10 the farmers.
! be Object OF the State Law, in
compliance With which the analyses
we're made, is the protection of those
Sho use aud buy fertilizers, against
fraud on the part of the manufacturer
or dealer, and nU. the comparison OF
tue different brands sold In the State
As To sctusl fertilizing value 10 the
farmer in this or that locality. That
this object may be attained with as
little expense as possible, the detgstn-
nations made In each ca 4re OF
only the fertilizing materials = iusAd
40 he present In the article, and pro-
vidcd these (pbOsphoric acid, nitro
gen, potassa), are present in the
amounts claimed by the dealer, the
Law Is satisfied.
Now, that these analyses may also
furnish To the farmer the means of
comparing the different brands so As
To select the one most useful for him,
more than the mere contents In the
several ingredients must be consid.
cred, namely the nature OF the com.
hination in which they occur. the
mechanical state Of the preparation,
and in connection with both OF these,
the kind of soil on which the fertil-
lzer is To be used.
The above points can usually be
determined To q considerable extent
by careful examination of the fertil-
lzer, 10y the eye alone, or aided by .
hand glass, and by sitting through ;
moderately fine seive.
The following points have to be
considered In comparing the fertil-
izers in this way
Eineaess. Fine "ground bone" IL
more rapidly disintegrated in The soil
and hence assimilaIed by the plants
than coarse, aud as between t~o sam
piles of ''bone meal' showing shout
the same analysis, the finer Is the
more valuable, that Is, the one con.
taining the gr,Gicst proportion of fine
b0ne, and as n rule, the finer the state
81 any fertilizer, all things being
equal, the more rapidly 1t cen be rem
tlersi availsble. Again, as To state
of combination, the 'insoluble" phos-
phoric acid of bones Is much more
valuable than that OF the so called
"phosphate rocks hence where su.
perphosphalcs are prepared from
bUnes, tue "insoluble" acid must he
considered o much more important
item THAN where prepared from South
Carolina or other phosphate rock.
The D,oiassa referred 10 IN the anal
tses Is that In forms which are col.
nl.le In water and hence is about
equally vuI0ahle where ever it ap-
pears IN an analysis, no matter what
may Be the state Of the fertilizer -
- Iineness.
1mm0nia is another ingredient
which may be introduced In variety
Of ways and It's source should b. in