656 Report on Inspection Work of the 



In the low-grade class, the difference between the lowest and 

 highest selling prices ($17.60 and $30) is $12.40, while the difference 

 in the value of the plant-food is only 69 cents; in fact, the fertilizer 

 selling at $30 actually contains less plant-food than the one selling 

 at $17.60. In the medium-grade class, the difference between the 

 highest and lowest selling prices is $26, while the difference in value 

 of plant-food is only $2.41, and, moreover, the one selling for the low- 

 est price ($19) contains plant-food worth $2.41 more than the one 

 selling for $45. In the medium high-grade class, a similar condition 

 exists. The difference between the highest and lowest selling prices 

 ($55 and $23.50), is $31.50, while the difference in commercial valua- 

 tion or plant-food value is only 30 cents; in other words, the fertilizer 

 selling at $55 contains plant-food worth 30 cents less than the ferti- 

 lizer selling for $23.50. In the high-grade class, a somewhat similar 

 condition exists but the difference in the plant-food values is much 

 more nearly in proportion to the selling prices. 



(2) The average excess of selling price over commercial valuation is 

 greatest in the low-grade class and decreases with each higher grade. 

 Thus, the figures for the four grades, beginning with the lowest, 

 (Table II) are $9.24, $8.45, $8.30 and $6.62; in other words, the 

 high-grade fertilizers sell, on an average, nearer to their actual plant- 

 food value than do those of lower grade. 



COST OF ONE POUND OF PLANT-FOOD IN DIFFERENT CLASSES OF 



FERTILIZERS. 



The difference in cost of plant-food in fertilizers of different grades 

 can best be brought out by showing the cost of one pound of plant- 

 food as purchased by the consumer. In the following table, we state 

 the lowest, highest and average cost of one pound of nitrogen, of avail- 

 able phosphoric acid, and of potash in complete fertilizers as actually 

 purchased by consumers in 1914. 



These figures are obtained by dividing the selling price by the com- 

 mercial valuation and then multiplying the result by the price per 

 pound used in making up the valuation for each constituent. 



These figures show, in general, that the higher the grade of fertilizer, 

 the lower is the cost of each pound of plant-food. The cost of one 

 pound of plant-food, whether nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash, 

 is greatest in low-grade and least in high-grade fertilizers. If we take 



