58 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Trade-Values fob 1879 and 1880. 



Cts. per lb. 



Nitrogen in nitrates 26 



" ammonia salts '22^ 



" Peruvian Guano, fine steamed bone, dried and fine ground blood, 



meat and fish 20 



" fine ground bone, horn and wool dust 18 



" fine medium bone 17^ 



" medium bono 16 J 



" coarse medium bone 15| 



" coarse bone, horn shavings, hair and fish scrap 15 



Phosphoric acid soluble in water 12^ 



" "reverted" and in Peruvian Guano 9 



" insoluble, in fine bone and fish guano - 7 



" " fine medium bone 6J 



*' " medium bone 6 



" " coarse medium bone 5^ 



" " coarse bone, bone ash and bone black 5 



" " fine ground rock phosphate 3 J 



Potash in high grade sulphate 7 J 



" low grade sulphate and kainite 6 



" muriate or potassium chloride 4^ 



These " trade-values" of the elements of fertilizers are not fixed, 

 hut vary with the state of the market, and are from time to time 

 subject to revision. They are not exact to the cent or its fractions, 

 because the same article sells cheaper at commercial or manufac- 

 turing centers than in countr}' towns, cheaper in large lots than in 

 small, cheaper for cash than on time. These values are high enough 

 to do no injustice to the dealer, and accurate enough to serve the 

 object of the consumer. 



To estimate the value of a fertilizer we multiply the per cent, of 

 nitrogen, &c., by the trade- value per pound, and that product by 

 20, we thus get the values per ton of the several ingredients, and 

 adding them together we obtain the total estimated value per ton." 



"The uses of the 'Valuation ' are, 1st, to show whether a given 

 lot or brand of fertilizer is worth as a commodity of trade what it 

 costs. If the selling price is no higher than the estimated value, 

 the purchaser may be quite sure that the price is reasonable. If the 

 selling price is but $2 to $3 per ton more than the estimated value it 

 may still be a fair price, but if the cost per ton is $5 or more over 

 the estimated value, it would be well to look further. 2d, compari- 

 sons of the estimated values and selling prices, of a number of 

 fertilizers, will generally indicate fairly which is the best for the money. 

 But the ' estimated value ' is not to be too literally construed, for 



