The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-05
How Fertilizers are Analysed at Clemson
Editor The Manning Times:

sis OF commercial fertlllZerS,
South Carolina would be made a
dumping ground for fertilizers
that could not be sold in States
having an inspection law. No
one, not even a chemist, without
a chemical analysis can tell the
difference in the value, for in
stance of an s, 3, 8 fertilizer and
a 10, 4, 4, fertilizer. The farmer
would simply be at the mercy of
the manufacturers (and there are
always some unscrupulous man
ufacturers) were it not for the
fertilizer analysis conducted by
Clemson College. 1t is the pur-
pose of this article to show Low
this analysis is carried on.
The general assembly of South
Carolina makes laws governing
the inspection and analysis of
commercial fertilizer, and the
board of trustees simply carry
out these laws.
There are two kinds Of
samples, namely: "Ohicial sam
ples'' drawn by the College In
spectors, and s'Farmer Samples"
that may be drawn by any pur-
chaser in a manner prescribed
by law. For the collection Of
official samples, the State is di-
vided into fourteen districts,
with an inspector for each dis.
trict. These inspectors canvass
the several districts and collect
samples where ever they may
find fertilizers. These samples
are placed in thirty-two ounce
bottles, sealed and numbered, in
the presence of a witness who
writes with the inspector an aft
davit 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.. Il. M. Stackhouse,
secretary of the board of Ferti-
lizer control. Upon receipt Of
these samples by Mr.. Stackhouse
they are turned over to the
chemical department by numbers
only, and skilled chemist are
directed to look for the ingredi-
ents claimed by the manufact-
urer. The name of the manu-
facturer and; the per cent. Of
each ingredients claimed by the
manufacturer is not known to
the chemist. The chemist is,
however, given the ingredient
but not the amount, or per cent.
guaranteed by the manufacturer
for the following reasons: If for
instance, patash alone is claimed
by the manufacturer, it is utter
folly and waste of time and
money to look for phosphoric
acid and ammonia. It takes just
as much time and money to
prove the absence of an ingred-
lent as it does to determine the
per cent. of an ingredient. The
chemist will have to analyse
about /, 400 official samples this
season, and this means 1000
separate determinations. 1t will
be impossible for them to oom.
petite this work before the first
of July. Now, if they were re
ouired to make a comple4e anal
ysis Of any fertilizer sent in,
there is no telling when the
work Of the season would be
finished.
When an analysis is completed
the chief chemist sends the re-
suit of the analysis to the secre-
tary of the board of the fertilizer
control. Should the sample fall
below the guarantee in any in
gredient the secretary returns
the sample and the chemists are
required to make another analy-
sis to correct or conlne the first
analysis. The results of the
analysis are then published and
every manufacturer whose goods
falls below the limit prescribed
by law g per cent. has his name
published in black letters with a
black index hand pointing to it.
These results are also published
in bulletins, which are sent out
free to the farmers of the State.
Any one can get these bulletins
by simply sending his name to
J. n. Hook, secretary to the
board of experiment station con-
troll, with the aequest that he
may be put on the mailing list.
1t is absolutely necessary that
those sending fertilizers to
Clemson to be analysed, give
the name Of the manufacturer or
else the secretary Of the board
Of fertilizer control could not
publish the results for the bene-
tit OF the people Of the State. If
a manufacturer falls below guar
antee on his goods he is subject
to prosecution, and is required
to pay to the farmer the differ
ence between the value Of the
fertilizer as shown by the analy
sis and the value as shown by
his guarantee.
FARMERS SAMPLES.
The law prescribes that any
purchaser Of fertilizers NAV take
a sample within fifteen days
I