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Statement Of Analysis

Categories: PURCHASING PLANT-FOOD

It would be well if the law refused to the

manufacturer the privilege of printing unnecessary detail in the

statement of analysis that must be placed upon the fertilizer bag. It

is added to confuse the buyer and mislead him regarding actual value.

The following statement is an example of this practice:



ANALYSIS



Per Cent

Nitrogen 0.82 to 1.00

Equal to ammonia 1.00 to 2.00

Soluble phosphoric acid 6.00 to 7.00

Reverted 2.00 to 3.00

Available 8.00 to 10.00

Insoluble 1.00 to 2.00

Total 9.00 to 12.00

Potash (actual) 1.00 to 2.00

Equal to sulphate of potash 2.00 to 3.00



As the row of larger figures is not guaranteed percentages, it has no

value.



The buyer is not concerned regarding the amount of ammonia to which the

nitrogen is equal, and so the second line is a needless repetition.



The fifth line gives the sum of the third and fourth, the available

being the total of the soluble and reverted. Therefore the third and

fourth lines may be ignored.



The sixth line gives the percentage of unavailable phosphoric acid in

the rock, and should be ignored by the purchaser who wants available

plant-food.



The seventh gives the sum of the available and insoluble, and should be

ignored.



The ninth is a restatement of the eighth line.



There then remains the following guaranty:



Per Cent

Nitrogen 0.82

Available phosphoric acid 8.00

Potash 1.00



This is a low-grade fertilizer whose cheap character becomes apparent

when the unnecessary statements and restatements are erased. A ton of

it contains only 16 pounds of nitrogen, 160 pounds of phosphoric acid,

and 20 pounds of potash.



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