164 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



ESTIMATION OF VALUES. 



Severe criticism lias been m.ade of the effort to fix an estimate of money 

 value of the leading materials that make up a mixed fertilizer, the value 

 per pound of available nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. A word of 

 explanation may not be out of place. It is manifestly impossible to fix 

 prices ui)on these materials that would everywhere be just and proper, 

 because they are not equally distributed and of uniform cost in all 

 places. 



The attempt has been made to fix a scale of prices in the Eastern 

 States by finding the price of leading materials — bones, mineral phos- 

 phates, ammonia and potash — in such markets as New York and Phila- 

 delphia, and from such data to determine the average cost of the nitro- 

 gen, phosphoric acid and absolute potash they contain. In this way 

 some approximate idea is formed of the commercial value of these mate- 

 rials. This, however, is not to be taken as expressing the agricultural 

 value, or what cash profit the farmer will secure from their use. 



WHAT TO LEARN FROM THE TABLE OF ANALYSIS. 



As previously stated the three most valuable materials in commercial 

 fertilizers are potash, phosphoric acid and available nitrogen. Each of 

 these has a commercial value which may be stated in dollars and cents. 

 Only these three substances are considered in the inspection of commer- 

 cial fertilizers because the other materials are of too little value to be 

 purchased at high prices. By placing before the farmer the composition 

 as claimed by the manufacturer and the composition of the material as 

 found in the market, he can find whether the goods are up to standard and 

 can also form an estimate of the market value of the goods. If the analy- 

 sis shows more of a given substance than is claimed, the goods are bet- 

 ter than claimed; but if much less is found on analysis than is claimed, 

 then the goods are proportionately of less value to the farmer. 



The market value of these materials varies somewhat from year to 

 year. The value of nitrogen estimated as ammonia is now IG cents a 

 pound; of available phosphoric acid, 8 cents a pound; of insoluble phos- 

 phoric acid, 2 1-2 cents a pound; and potash is worth 6 cents a pound. 



Since there are 20 times 100 pounds in a ton, if we multiply the value 

 of one pound by 20 we find the value of one per cent of any material in a 

 ton. We may thus construct a table for estimating the value of any 

 materials found in the results of analysis. One per cent means 20 

 pounds in a ton, and if the material is worth 8 cents a pound, then each 

 per cent equals $1.60 for a ton. 



Multiply the per cent of available P„ 0^ bv II 60 



insoluble P^ O5 by ." 50 



" " ammonia by , 3 20 



potash by . . 1 20 



The sum of these products will give the market value of the fertilizer. 



As this bulletin may fall into the hands of some who have never seen 

 the law concerning the inspection of commercial fertilizers, the act is 

 printed in full. 



