898 ANNUAL RETORT OF THE U>ff. Doc. 



Since the amount of tlie several valuable I'l-riiliziu"^ constituents in 

 the various raw materials is l<nov.n, it is a simple matter to de- 

 termine the corresponding retail value per pound of the valuable fer- 

 tilizing constituents yielded by each raw material. A schedule of 

 these pound values affords a convenient basis of computation of the 

 value per ton of various fertilizers, whose composition is ascertained 

 by analysis. 



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

 cost of the fertilizer at the point of delivery are: 



3. For mixing, |1.00 per ton. 



4. For bagging, |1.00 per ton, in all cases except those in which the 

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

 such cases, included in the v.holesale price. 



0. For agents' commissions, 20 per cent, of the cost of tlie 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 Harrisburg, 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. $0 90 



Reverted, 2.50 50 lbs. at 2^c. 125 



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



Retail cash value of ingredients, $8 45 



Bagging, 1 00 



Cash value of goods ready for shipment, |9 45 



Agents' commission, 20 per cent., 1 89 



Freight, 2 00 



Commercial value per ton, $13 34 



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

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

 in each locality and in every transaction. Market conditions, compe- 

 tition, distance from factory, all introduce minor variations. Never- 

 theless, 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 evident that the 

 schedule of retail values of the constituents, or the added allowances 

 for mixing, etc., requires revision. 



