No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 439 



Composition of Acidulated Fertilizer Ingredients. Per Cent.) 



Dissolved bone 



Dissolved phosphate rock, 



10 

 79 



14.91 

 15.60 



4.51 

 97 



1.59 



Cost per Pound of Fertilizer Constituents. — With the composition 

 of these raw materials and their price per ton, hundred weight, or 

 other unit of measure as a basis, the wholesale cost per pound of 

 the valuable constituents can readily be calculated. In many cases 

 the ammoniates are quoted "per unit of ammonias" the term unit 

 being equivalent to per cent. ; in goods sold by the ton of 2,000 lbs., 

 the unit is equal to 20 lbs., and 20 lbs. of ammonia contain 16.47 lbs. 

 of nitrogen. 



In the case of refuse bone-black, unacidulated the mean, 28.25 

 per cent, of phosphoric acid, is assumed to represent the average 

 material on the market. 



Phosphate rock is sold by the ton of 2,240 lbs., and on the basis 

 of the bone phosphate of lime it contains, with drawbacks for in- 

 jurious constituents. Bone-phosphate of lime contains 45.8 per cent, 

 of phosphoric acid; therefore, each per cent, of bone phosphate in 

 a long ton is equivalent to 22.4 lbs., and contains 10.26 lbs. of phos- 

 phoric acid. 



In tlie wholesale trade, dried blood, azotine, concentrated tankage 

 and hoof meals are usually sold on the basis of ammonia, disregard- 

 ing the phosphoric acid present. 



Insoluble phosphoric acid in dissolved rock is likewise omitted 

 from consideration, contracts being based solely upon the "avail- 

 able" phosphoric acid; nor in rock phosphates is any claim made for 

 the small quantities of nitrogen and potash they contain, nor in dis- 

 solved bone for the potash present. 



Under these conditions, the wholesale cost per pound in New York 

 of the valuable constituents of such materials as furnish but a single 

 fertilizing element, these materials being assumed to be in the state 

 of preparation and in the packing in which the manufacturer pur- 

 chased them, are given in the following table; also a figure repre- 

 senting a fair retail price at the factory, the materials having under- 

 gone no change in treatment or packing and the allowance for ex- 

 penses and profit in retailing being 20 per cent. 



