COMING DOWN IN PRICE. 341 



The general character of this large class of fertilizers has 

 chansred but little, so far as the total amount of essential con- 

 stitueuts, phosphoric acid and nitrogen are concerned. 



The relative amount of soluble phosphoric acid has, how- 

 ever, been increased in some instances at the expense of the 

 insoluble acid. Two samples were noticeable for their large 

 amount of moisture (Nos. IV. and VII.), a circumstance 

 which favored a rapid formation of mould, and thereby 

 tended to reduce their actual commercial value. The price 

 of the latter class of ammoniated superphosphates in view of 

 the present ruling market valuations of phosphoric acid and 

 nitrogen ought not to exceed from $35 to $40 per ton, which 

 is $10 to $15 less than in preceding years. 



A closer investigation proves almost invariably that the 

 best quality is also the cheapest ; a fact which I asserted in 

 my last report. A fair illustration of this statement is fur- 

 nished again in No. X., the imported English superphos- 

 phate, in which the soluble phosphoric acid is sold at ten cents 

 per pound. Some of our home manufacturers are by no 

 means behind in oflferiug for sale their valuable articles at low 

 rates ; in some instances at more than thirty per cent, below 

 my last year's valuation. 



As the dealers in fertilizers are quite naturally at liberty to 

 put any kind of material at their own price in the market, 

 provided they state the guaranteed percentage of phosphoric 

 acid, nitrogen and potassium oxide as specified by our law 

 for the regulation of the sale of fertilizers, it becomes the 

 important duty of every farmer to see to it that the specification 

 regarding the quality and quantity of these essential constitu- 

 ents is fastened in a readable form to every package ofiered 

 for sale at a price of more than $15 per ton. 



To secure to themselves the full benefit of the fertilizer 

 law, renders it also very advisable that they should make 

 themselves, as far as practicable, familiar with the general 

 properties of a good fertilizer of each particular class. 



It is one of the aims of these reports to serve, in the absence 

 of better sources, as a reference regarding these points. 



Ch. a. Goessmakn, 



State Inspector of Commercial Fertilizers. 



