II. RAW MATERIALS CHIEFLY VALUABLE FOR PHOSPHORIC ACID. RAW ROCK PHOSPHATE. Only one sample was analyzed. 10. Phos-Pho-Flour. Sold by W. L. Mitchell, New Haven, and sampled by the Station agent from stock of H. O. Daniels, Middletown. It was guaranteed to contain 28 per cent of total phosphoric acid and 30.95 per cent was found. PRECIPITATED BONE PHOSPHATE. The bone phosphate of commerce is obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of gelatin and consists largely of dicalcium phosphate. The phosphoric acid in this material is practically all "available." Four samples were analyzed, all of which exceeded their guaranties. At the price quoted, available phosphoric acid has cost 6.3 cents per pound. The ton price was $50.00. Analyses are given in Table VI. DISSOLVED ROCK PHOSPHATE OR ACID PHOSPHATE. This material is the product made by treating raw rock phosphate with sulphuric acid whereby the phosphorus is largely converted into "available" forms. In acid phosphates most of the available phosphoric acid is soluble in water. The prevailing guaranty is 16 per cent of "available" phosphoric acid, and this amount was exceeded in all of the twenty samples examined. As regards "available" phosphoric acid this material has varied in composition within the limits of about 50 pounds per ton. The price, however, has ranged from $14.00 to $30,00 and the cost per pound of available phosphoric acid has accordingly varied from 4.2 to 9.2 cents. On the average, acid phosphate this year has contained 16.78 per cent of available phosphoric acid, which at the average price ($21.11) per ton has made the cost of this constituent 6.3 cents per pound, or $1.26 per unit. Analyses are given in Table VII. [Station No. Sampled by Station: 99 International Agricultural Corpora- 23131 Nitrate Agencies Co., Bound Brook, 22936 Olds & Whipple, Inc., Hartford. 23194 Virginia-Carolina Chemical Co., New 23196 Wilcox Fertilizer Co., Mystic. Sampled by Purchaser: 22230 E. D. Chittenden Co., Bridgeport. 23139 The L. T. Frisbie Co., New Haven.. C. F. Allen, Warehouse Point. Robert Greenbacker, Meriden. Sampled at Factory.... E. O. Chapman, North Haven. A. B. Lapsly, Pomfret Center. W. T. Clark, Norwich.. Guaranteed. Station No. III. RAW MATERIALS CONTAINING POTASH. CARBONATE OF POTASH. Pure carbonate of potash contains 68.2 per cent of actual potash (K2O), but commercial grades usually contain from 60 to 65 per cent. Most of the samples submitted were guaranteed to contain 96 per cent carbonate of potash which is equivalent to 65.44 per cent actual potash. Thirteen samples were analyzed, all but one being submitted by purchasers. Two samples, Nos. 22494 and 22495, failed to meet their guaranties by 3.01 and 2.18 per cent respectively; these samples were from the same stock as two previous samples viz., 22358 and 22356, both of which more nearly approached the guaranty. Analyses are given in Table VIII. MURIATE OF POTASH. The usual commercial grade of this salt is about 80 per cent pure containing about 50.5 per cent actual potash. Because it readily absorbs moisture, guaranties are often placed somewhat lower, viz., 48 to 50 per cent. The prevailing guaranty for samples examined this year was 50 per cent. Thirteen samples were analyzed, four of which contained considerably less than 48 per cent. Sample 22871 was from three bags which represented the remainder of a four-ton lot. The analysis may not, therefore, be representative of the whole shipment. Nos. 23140 and 23324 were purchaser's samples from the same lot. The goods were sold by the L. T. Frisbie Company and obtained by them from the Consolidated Rendering Company of Boston. These two samples were considerably below the guaranty of 50 per cent; an official sample, 23242, taken by the Station agent at the plant of the Frisbie Company exceeded the guaranty by nearly 1.5 per cent. The average for all samples is close to 50 per cent (49.92), of potash which, at the average of prices quoted, $44.40, makes the cost of potash in this material 4.5 cents per pound or 90 cents per unit. The lowest cost noted is 3.8 cents, and the highest is 5 cents per pound. Analyses are given in Table VIII. HIGH GRADE SULPHATE OF POTASH. The commercial grades of this salt generally contain about 48.0 per cent of potash which is approximately 90 per cent sulphate of potash. Twenty-six samples were examined of which ten were drawn by the Station agent and the remainder by purchasers. The official samples substantially met or exceeded their guaranties. Several samples, submitted by purchasers, while of fair average quality did not meet the guaranties quoted for them which were over 50 per cent. Two, 22350 and 22535, were considerably under 48 per cent. The average potash content was 49.1 per cent and the cost per pound, based upon the few prices quoted, averaged 5.5 cents. Seven samples, representing early season purchases of the American Sumatra Tobacco Co., were submitted by the purchasers. The samples purported to be high grade sulphate but, on analysis, only one conformed to that grade, the others containing from 30 to 40 per cent of potash with considerable and varying amounts of chlorine and magnesia. Investigation by the Station agent showed that this shipment was received in the original import sacks distinguished only by serial numbers; and that there were two grades in the lot, one in bags marked 419 and the other in bags marked 482 and 600. The low grade stock was included in the shipment by mistake and replacement was made. Analyses are given in Table VIII. |