New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 657 



Table III. — Cost of One Pound of Plant-Food in Different Grades of 



Fertilizers. 



Cost of one pound of Nitrogen 



Lowest 



Highest 



Average 



Cost of one -pound of Available Phos 

 phoric Acid 



Lowest 



Highest : 



Average 



Cost of one pound of Potash 



Lowest 



Highest 



Average 



High- 

 grade. 



Cents. 



15.8 

 33.0 



24.2 



3.4 

 7.2 

 5.3 



3.6 

 7.7 

 5 6 



the average of all the complete fertilizers analyzed, we find the price 

 of one pound of nitrogen is 27 cents, of phosphoric acid, 5.9 cents and 

 of potash, 6.2 cents. 



the composition of mixtures containing phosphoric acid and 

 potash and the cost of plant-food. 



Considerable quantities of commercial fertilizers are sold in the form 

 of mixtures containing dissolved phosphate rock (acid phosphate) 

 and muriate of potash, under a great variety of names, such as al- 

 kaline bone, alkaline bone and potash, akaline dissolved bone, alka- 

 line manure, alkaline phosphate, akaline superphosphate, bone and 

 potash, dissolved bone and potash, dissolved phosphate and potash, 

 phospho-potasso, potash mixture, potash and soluble phosphate, 

 superphosphate with potash, and many other special names that have 

 no reference to the composition of the mixtures. It should be stated 

 in passing that the use of the word "alkaline" in connection with such 

 mixtures is entirely misapplied and misleading and the same is true of 

 the use of the word "bone" or "dissolved bone." 



For some years these mixtures of acid phosphate and muriate of 

 potash have been popular with many farmers and their use has been 

 increasing extensively. This can be readily explained by the fact 

 that, since they contain no nitrogen, they can be sold at prices which 



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