874 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Since the amount of the several valuable fertilizing constituents 

 in the various raw materials is known, it is a simple matter to de- 

 termine the corresponding retail value per pound of the valuable 

 fertilizing constituents yielded by each raw material. A schedule of 

 these pound values afiords a convenient basis of computation of the 

 value per ton of various fertilizers, whose composition is ascer- 

 tained by analysis, « 



The values assigned, for the present, to the other elements in the 

 cost of the fertilizer at the point of delivery are: 



8. For mixing, $1.00 per ton. 



4. For bagging, $1,00 per ton, in all cases except those in Vvhich the 

 article was sold in original package; the cost of the package being, 

 in such cases, included in the wholesale price. 



5. For agents' commissions, 20 per cent, of the cost of the goods 

 f. o. b. at the jobbers' or mixers' warehouse. 



6. For freight, $2.00 per ton; the cost of the freight in lots of 

 twelve tons or over, from the seaboard to Ilarrisburg, averaging 

 $1.88 per ton. 



The following valuation of dissolved South Carolina rock illus- 

 trates the method: 



Phosphoric acid. Per cent. Weight per ton. 



Soluble, ' 11.50 230 lbs. at 3c. 1(190 



Reverted, 2.50 50 lt>s. at 2^c. 125 



Insoluble, 1.00 20 ffis. at l^c. 30 



Retail cash value of ingredients, $8 45 



Bagging, 1 00 



Cash value of goods ready for shipment, :f{) 4.5 



Agents' commission, 20 per cent., 1 80 



Freight, 2 00 



Commericial value per ton, $18 34 



It is not to be expected, of course, that the valuations thus couj- 

 puted will precisely represent the fair price to be charged for a 

 brand in each locality and in every transaction. Market conditions, 

 competition, distance from factor}^, all introduce minor variations. 

 Nevertheless, to make the approximation reasonably close, the 

 average valuation of a given class of goods ought to agree closely 

 with its ascertained average selling price. Whenever such an 

 agreement is no longer obtained by the use of a schedule, it is evi- 

 dent that the schedule of retail values of the constituents, or the 

 added allowances for mixing, etc., requires revision. 



