New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 95 



0.50 per cent. In 121 of these cases, the deficiency was less than 

 0.5 per cent. 



In 110 cases among the 578 brands of complete fertilizers the 

 potash was contained in the form of sulphate free from an excess 

 of chlorides. 



(5) The retail selling price of the complete fertilizers varied 

 from $15 to $45 a ton and averaged $27.65. The retail cost of 

 the separate ingredients unmixed averaged $18.52, or $9.13 less 

 than the selling price. 



INTRODUCTION. 



NUMBER AND KINDS OF FERTILIZERS. 



During the spring of 1898, the Station's collecting agents 

 visited 206 towns between March 23 and June 8, obtaining 1,183 

 samples of commercial fertilizers. These samples represent 739 

 different brands, the product of 123 different manufacturers, each 

 manufacturer being represented by from 1 to 49 brands. 



The subjoined tabulated statement indicates the different 

 classes included in the collection. 



Classes of Fertilizers Collected. 



a 6 aw fl -*-> a ^ •— "^ 



.„ ^ "O ■— O •— & U "Z 



a a o 5 — ij3 xi 



a> o i? o'S 5 ,2 c ft m 



aicg as*2 a M -S § txSr^ 



m n « w m m 



8 44 7 47 55 578 



From these figures it can be seen that 78 per cent of the com- 

 mercial fertilizers offered for sale during the spring consisted of 

 complete fertilizers. The remaining 22 per cent was distributed 

 in nearly equal proportions between acid phosphates, bone and 

 mixtures containing acid phosphate and potash. 



