94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Of the inorganic matter 4.99 parts consisted of sand. 



Soluble phosphoric acid, . . . 7 02 

 Insoluble, " "... 12.44 

 Nitrogen, 2.12 



This result shows that the superphosphate holds nearly fifteen 

 per cent, of water and sand. It is, however, to be considered, 

 that it is quite impossible to drive off all moisture in manu- 

 facturing, and the t>and may be an accidental ingredient. In 

 estimating the value of Bradley's superphosphate, if we regard 

 the insoluble phosphoric acid as worthless, as is the practice of 

 some chemists, it reduces the value of the compound to a low 

 point. But this I must regard as erroneous and unfair ; it has 

 a positive value, although I do not agree with Prof. Johnson, 

 in estimating it as high as six cents a pound. It is worth to 

 the agriculturist a half that sum, three cents, and the soluble 

 may fairly be estimated at sixteen cents a pound. The nitrogen 

 has a fair market value, based on the price of nitrate of soda 

 and sulphate of ammonia, of about twenty-eight cents. Estimat- 

 ing the superphosphate from these prices of plant-food, the value 

 of a ton is about f 36. That is, the manufacturer supplies in 

 each ton thirty-six dollars' worth of plant-food, a considerable 

 part of which is available. The retail price is sixty dollars the 

 ton. This superphosphate certainly contrasts favorably, as 

 regards money value, with many others found in the market. 



The Upton phosphates are five in number, all of which have 

 been examined. They hold of water, respectively, eight, 

 thirteen, twenty-one and twenty-five per cent., not reckoning 

 fractions. These amounts are all large, two of them being 

 excessively so. No one of them contains a trace of soluble 

 phosphoric acid, and the amount of insoluble is represented as 

 follows: No. 1, 12.44 parts in 100; No. 2, 15.89; No. 3, 

 17.02 ; No. 4, 11.21 ; No. 5, 11.80. No. 1 contains of nitro- 

 gen, 2.12 ; No. 2, 1.59 ; No. 3, 1.55 ; the others none. No. 2 

 contains 2.38 parts of potash. 



Mr. Upton is a well known and highly honorable gentleman, 

 and he states that the making of fertilizers is incidental to his 

 business as glue manufacturer, and that he makes as good an 

 article as he can afford at the prices at which he sells his 



