REPORT OF THE STATE CHEMIST. R. I. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, KINGSTON, R. I., Jan. 1, 1896. To the Honorable State Board of Agriculture: During the year 1895, one hundred and twenty-five samples of commercial fertilizer, fertilizer stock and agricultural chemicals. have been collected and analyzed. The materials examined comprise the following samples: Complete commercial fertilizers, one hundred and one; fine ground fish, one; nitrate of soda, two; muriate of potash, two; soluble "bone" and potash, one; unleached wood ashes, nine; ground bone, eight; tankage, one. COMMERCIAL VALUATION. The commercial valuation for this season is practically a statement of the average price at which the same amounts of potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen in the best form of chemicals and fertilizer stock could have been bought in our large markets during the six months preceding March 1, 1895. The following schedule of prices for use in estimating the commercial value of fertilizers is that adopted by the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and Rhode Island agricultural experiment stations for the year 1895, and represents the average prices in our larger markets for the six months preceding March 1. These valuations are based upon retail and wholesale quotations, and where the latter have been employed about 20 per cent. has been added to raise them to a retail basis. AVERAGE RETAIL COST OF POTASH, PHOSPHORIC ACID AND NITROGEN IN THE FORM OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZER STOCK FOR THE SIX MONTHS PRECEDING MARCH 1, 1895: Nitrogen in ammonia salts.... 66 nitrates Organic nitrogen in dry and fine ground fish, meat, blood, and in high grade mixed fertilizers...... Organic nitrogen in cotton seed meal.. Cents per pound. 18 15 16 12 16 14 11 "fine ground fish, cotton-seed meal and wood ashes.... Potash as high grade sulphate, ashes, etc.. and in mixtures free from muriates or chlorides...... Potash as muriate or in forms containing muriates or chlorides... 3 2 5 Organic nitrogen in feed stuffs... Phosphoric acid in feed stuffs. Potash in feed stuffs..... 51 4 15 5 51 For an explanation of the method of calculating the commercial value, see Report for 1892, page 26, or Bulletin 16, R. I. Agricultural Experiment Station, page 34. The difference between the commercial valuation and the cost of the fertilizer goes to cover grinding and mixing, interest on investment, freight, rebagging, agents' commissions, bad bills, etc., * Dissolved from 2 grams of the phosphate previously extracted with pure water, by 100 c. c., of a neutral solution of ammonium citrate of 1.09 sp. gr. in 30 minutes, at 65° C. with agitation once in five minutes. Commonly called "reverted" or "backgone" phosphoric acid. and finally profits. It remains for the individual farmer to decide whether he will pay the difference or buy his chemicals and mix his own fertilizers. The cost of mixing, as estimated by Rhode Island farmers who have tried it, varies from 50 cents to $1.50 per ton. For information in relation to the headings used in the succeeding tables of analyses, and for a discussion of the special value of the various forms of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, see Report for 1892, p. 26, or R. I. Agricultural Experiment Station, pp. 35-37. It is a significant fact that many fertilizers are claimed to contain sulphate of potash or actual potash equal to a given amount of sulphate of potash. This is evidently done for one or both of the following reasons: (1) It is well known that tobacco, hops, sugar beets and potatoes are of better quality if grown with sulphate of potash than with the muriate, or in other words that a large quantity of chlorine lowers the quality of these crops. (2) Ten per cent. of sulphate of potash is really equal to about five per cent. of actual potash, and hence by stating it as sulphate the uninformed farmer is led to believe that twice the actual amount of potash is present. The only way by which the farmer may be sure of obtaining fertilizers containing little chlorine is by watching the analyses or by buying the chemicals and mixing his own goods. OMISSION OF THE SELLING PRICE. The selling price has been omitted this season for the reason that the cost of cartage to certain localities in the State is great, and fertilizers collected at such points show, of necessity, a greater difference between the selling price and valuation than others collected at points where the cost of transportation is small. By adopting this policy injustice may be avoided and also the temptation for one manufacturer to make use of such exceptional prices and publish them to the detriment of his competitors. Table showing the number of brands of complete fertilizers analyzed* during the present season, the manufacturers of the same, and the relation of the guaranties to the amounts of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash found. H J. Baker & Bro., 93, 95, 97 William street, New York, N. Y. Bowker Fertilizer Co., 43 Chatham street, Boston, Mass Clark's Cove Fertilizer Co., State street, Boston, Mass Mapes Formula and Peruvian Guano Co., New York, N. Y. Mitchell Fertilizer Co., Tremley, N. J National Fertilizer Co, Bridgeport, Conn.. Pacific Guano Co., Box 1638, Boston, Mass. Parmenter & Polsey, Peabody, Mass. The Quinnipiac Co., 92 State street, Boston, Mass. Read Fertilizer Co., New York, N. Y.. Standard Fertilizer Co., State street, Boston, Mass.. M. L. Shoemaker & Co, Philadelphia, Pa. Leander Wilcox, Mystic, Conn. ....... Williams and Clark Fertilizer Co., 92 State street, Boston, Mass. 3 12 10 Total. 100 86 6 90 86 90 86 3 91 74 10 100 93 4 100 381 339 19 23 13 13 12 12 1 3 10000OHOOOOHOOHOOOO00000 *This does not include No. 537, Peters' Sheep Fertilizer, which was unaccompanied by any guaranty and is consequently omitted from this table. The following shows the percentage relation between the fertilizing constituents found and guaranteed, for the years 1891 to 1895, inclusive: 80.71 75.74 80.89 88.97 9.00 13.77 7.97 4.99 Less than .3 per cent, below the guaranty.... 10.64 In 1891, which was the first season in which the fertilizer inspection was conducted in coöperation with the Experiment Station, the goods in 29 per cent. of the cases were below the guaranties, and in 18 per cent. of them over .3 of a per cent. below. In 1892 there was a marked improvement. In 1893 the results were much better than in 1891, but not equal to those of 1892. In 1894 a decided improvement was again noticeable, but it will be seen that the showing for 1895 is the best yet recorded. Nothing is better calculated to establish confidence in the minds of the consumers of commercial fertilizers than to find that the goods are mixed uniformly from year to year, and that they contain what they are guaranteed to contain. NOTE IN RELATION TO THE FOLLOWING TABLE.-The order of arrangement of the manufac turers in the following table is based entirely upon the percentage of instances in which the goods were equal to or above the guaranty. It will be obvious, however, that the last two columns, also should be consulted when comparing the relative standing of the companies in regard to the rela tion between the amounts found and guaranteed. In many cases a company's goods may fail to correspond with the guaranties, but nevertheless contain as much value in plant food as though they were in every instance above the guaranty. This occurs when a deficiency in certain ingredients is compensated for by an excess in others. This point has not been and could not well be considered in the arrangement of the companies in the table. |