The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-04-04
How Fertilizers Are Annalyzed
at Clemson.
By Sam Bowles.

x * r 4 + =
If it were not for the laws govern
ing the inspection and analysis OF
commercial fertilizers, South Caro-
lima, would be made dumping for fer
tilizers that could not be sold in
States having an inspection law. No
one, not even a chemist, without
chemical analysis can tell the differ
ences in the value, for instance, of an
8-3-3 fertilizer and a 10-4-4 fertilizer.
The farmers would simply be at the
mercy of the manufacturers (and
there are always some unscrupulous
manufacturers were it not for the
fertilizer analysis conducted at Clem-
son college, It is the purpose Of this
article to show how this analysis is
carried on.
The general assembly Of South
Carolina makes laws governing the in
spection and analysis of commercial
fertilizers, and the board of trustees
simply carry out these laws.
There are two kinds of samples,
namely, official samples" drawn by
the college inspectors, and Farmers
samples" drawn by any purchaser in
a manner prescribed by law. For the
collection of official samples the State
is divided into fourteen districts with
an inspector for each district. These
inspectors canvas the several districts,
and collect samples wherever they
find fertilizers. These samples are
placed in thirty-two ounce bottles,
sealed, and numbered, in the presence
of witness who writes with the in
spector an affidavit to the effect that,
the sample is a just and fair one, and
drawn in accordance with the law.
These samples are then sent to Mr..
H. M. Stackhouse, secretary of the
board of fertilizer control.
Upon receipt of these samples. by
Mr.. Stackhouse, they are turned over
to the chemical department by nun
bers only, and skilled chemists are
directed to look for the ingredients
claimed by the manufacturer.
The name of the manufacturer and
the percent of each ingredient claim
ed by the manufacturer is not known
to the chemist. The chemist is, how
ever. given the ingredient, but not the
amount, or per cent. guaranteed by
the manufacturer for the following
reasons: If for instance, potash alone
is claimed by the manufacturer, 1t IS
utter. folly and waste Of time and
money ID look for ponsphoric acid and
amonia. 1t takes just as much tlme'
and costs just as much money to i
prove the absence of an ingredient as
it does to prove the presence of an
Ingredient. The chemists will have J
% analyze about 1,400 official sam
r:as" this season, and this means
about 1000 separate determinations. 1t
will 60 Impossible for them to COM
plete this work before the first OF
July. Now if they were required to
make a complete analysis Of any fer
tilizer sent in there is no tell
ing when the work of the season
would be completed,
When an analysis is completed, the
chief chemist sends the result of the
analysis to the secretary of the board
IF fertilizer control Should the sam
Die fall below the guarantee, in any
Ingredient the secretary returns the
sample and the chemists are required
% make another anlysis to correct or
affirm the first analysis. The results
3f the analysis are then published and
very manufacturer whose goods fall
below the limit prescribed by law 6
Jer cent? has his name published IN
black letters with black index hand
pointing to it, These. results are pub
ished in bulletins which are sen: ont
rec to the farmers Of 1hH Sia.a. Anyi