Each official sample shall consist of a fertilizing
material obtained in the following manner:
(a) Packaged Dry Materials.
(1) Use a sampler that removes a core
diagonally from end-to-end of the container.
(2) The lot and the sample size consisting of
not less than one pound will be established in the following manner:
(A) If a lot to be sampled consists of more
than 10 bags, select 10 bags and withdraw one core from each. If a lot contains
less than 10 bags, withdraw 10 cores, but at least one core from each bag
present. When taking more than one core from the same bag, insert the trier
into the same hole as previously probed.
(3) Small packages of dry fertilizer material
in packages of 80 pounds or less, when not practical to sample according to
subsection (2), shall be represented by one unbroken package which will
constitute the official sample.
(4)
Place all cores into sample container and send to the laboratory.
(b) Sampling Dry Fertilizing
Materials in Bulk Lots. Dry bulk material samples shall consist of not less
than one pound and be obtained by one of the following methods:
(1) Use a bulk cup-type sampler with an
opening width at least three times the diameter of the largest particle being
sampled and long enough to "cut" the complete stream. The stream must be "cut"
with the sampler at least ten times at equal intervals.
The person or distributor in possession of the material
must supply a safe and convenient access to a stream of the material being
loaded or unloaded for the sampler.
(2) Use a "Missouri D" probe or sampling
scoop according to the following system:
(i)
At least 12 cores must be drawn in different locations.
(ii) When a single lot of fertilizing
material is in two separate compartments, piles, windrows, or bulk bags, take a
minimum of six cores from each compartment, pile, windrow, or bulk
bag.
(iii) When a single lot of
fertilizing material is in three or more compartments, piles, windrows, or bulk
bags, take a minimum of four cores from each compartment, pile, windrow, or
bulk bag.
(c)
When sampling gypsum, the following procedure is acceptable:
(1) Scrape outer surface aside to expose
representative material before inserting sampler.
(2) Take at least 20 approximately equal
cores from fairly evenly distributed parts of the quantity.
(3) Place all cores into sample container and
send to the laboratory for mixing and quartering.
(d) Liquid fertilizing materials must be
sampled by one of the following systems:
(1)
Full horizontal cylindrical or spherical tanks or containers are sampled with a
restricted fill liquid sampling device. Lower the liquid sampler just below the
surface and allow to fill, the liquid sampler is then recovered and emptied
into a suitable container. This process is repeated twice at the center level
of the tank or container and once at the bottom. All four aliquots are
thoroughly mixed and tested; or a sample of the four aliquots consisting of not
less than one pint shall be sent to the laboratory for testing.
(2) Sample vertical cylindrical, cubic or
rectangular shaped tanks or containers by proceeding as in "(1)" except one
aliquot is taken from the center level rather than taking two aliquots from the
center level.
(3) Nonpressurized
nitrogen solutions, nitrogen-phosphate mixtures, and other clear solutions may
be sampled at the sight gauge or outlet after these openings have been drained
and flushed with the solution. Fertilizer suspensions or slurries must be
completely agitated before sampling; when a homogenous mixture is achieved,
sample as above.
(4) Streamcutting
a homogenous mixture from a valve while loading is an acceptable sampling
procedure.
(5) Small packages of
liquid fertilizing materials, when not practical to sample according to
subsection (d)(1)(2)(3), shall be represented by one unbroken package which
will constitute the official sample.