183 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



From tliese figures it will be seen that we are justified in saj'ing that, 

 of the complete fertilizers sold in this state during the ju'esent season, 

 over ()0 per cent were medium or low-grade in character. Only slightly 

 more than one-sixth of the whole number could be termed strictly high- 

 grade. 



The following table shows the average amounts of nitrogen, available 

 phosphoric acid and potash contained in the four different classes of 

 complete fertilizer. 



Class of fertilizer. 



In 100 pounds of fertilizer. 



Pounds of 

 nitrogen. 



Low grade 



Medium-grade 



Medium high-grade 

 High grade 



1.16 

 1.33 

 1.83 

 2.74 



Pounds of 



available 



phosphoric 



acid. 



7.14 

 9.54 

 8.67 

 9.88 



Pounds of 

 potash. 



Pounds of 



total plant 



food. 



1.66 

 2.74 

 5.95 

 8.11 



9.96 

 13.61 

 16.45 

 20 . 73 



Studying this table we notice the following points : 



(1.) The percentage of available phosphoric acid is practically the 

 same for all grades. 



(2.) The percentage of nitrogen and of potash increases in the higher 

 grades. 



(3.) The total amount of plant-food in 100 pounds of fertilizer is 

 greater in the higher grades. 



In the next table is given the average actual selling price and the 

 average commercial valuation of each grade of fertilizer and the excess 

 of the selling price over the commercial valuation. As the commercial 

 valuation represents the average retail price of the separate, unmixed 

 materials contained in one ton of fertilizer at the large fertilizer centers 

 of the middle west, the excess of selling price above commercial valua- 

 tion represents the cost of mixing, bagging, the freight, profits and cost 

 of business. 



From a study of the following table we notice that the selling price 

 varies considerably for any one grade of goods, and that this variation 

 is entirely disproportionate to the value of the plant food. This dif- 

 ference is less marked in the high-grade goods. The excess of selling 

 price over commercial valuation is greater in low-grade and medium- 

 grade fertilizers than in high-grade fertilizers, that is, the high-grade 

 fertilizers sell on an average, nearer to their actual plant food value 

 tiian do the low-grade goods. 



