PEOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



33 



The prices paid for potato manures are still more extravagant. Their average price 

 is £9, 7s. , and their average value reckoned by the units applicable to dissolved bones 

 is £7, Is., showing an average excess of price over value of £2, 6s. per ton. One potato 

 manure from Carse of Gowrie is charged at £3, 8s. over its value, and another from 

 Stratheam is priced at £11 per ton, while its value is £6, 15s. at most, showing a differ- 

 ence of £4, 5s. per ton, which has simply been given away. 



In a purchase of barley manure Stratheam has been still more unfortunate, having 

 paid £9 per ton for what was worth at most £4, 17s., thereby losing £4, 3s. per ton. 

 The other special manures are variously named and variously priced. One called a 

 "universal manure,'^ another called a '• top-dressing manure," and another called a 

 " compound manure," have values equal to or better than their price ; and one called a 

 " special manure," bought by the Kelso Association, is 21s. per ton better than its 

 price ; but the remaining manures are greatly over-priced, the average overcharge being 

 upwards of £3 per ton. 



As an example of the great disproportion which exists between the profits derived 

 from the sale of standard and special manures, we may take the returns of the Strath- 

 eam Analytical Association. 



That association has bought fourteen standard manures and ten special manures, and 

 the following are the prices paid per ton for them, and the values calculated from the 

 results of analysis : — 



STRATHEARN ANALYTICAL ASSOCIATION. 



* Staiulard Manures. 



Average, 



£9 3 9 £6 10 4 £2 13 5 



It will be seen that the majority of the standard manures have Iweu bought * 



somewhat under their value. Nos. 6 an«l 7 are e.xceptious, and not genuine <i . .i 



bones, but come under that category which I liave already described a.s nitrosup«r- 

 j)hoHphates. But for these two spurious manures the avenige price of the stan(hird 

 manures would have been below their average cidculated vaun-. that is to .^ly, their 

 selling value, inclucliug the sellers' nrotit. 



A glance at tin* special inaiiurcs snows :i vor>' different state ol niatu-rs ; all but on« 

 have been sold at prices above their proper selling value, and sonu" of tlifiu havo been 

 sold at truly scandalous ])rices. 



It is to be hoi)ed, for the sake of the jiros]>i'rity of our farmers, who are .struggUng 

 manfully up against hard times, that not many have made such unfortunate parcn*6e«> 

 as some of the fanners of Stratheam. 



