404 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



of the complete type, there was 3.33% of potash on the average; in 

 those collected in the Fall of 1915, 1.94%. The corresponding col- 

 lections of rock-and-potash fertilizers contained 3.41 and 1.87 per 

 cent, of potash, respectively. No dissolved bone phosphate was found 

 in the 1914 Fall collection; this Fall, 32 such brands were collected 

 and analyzed. 



The relations of selling price to commercial valuations at rates 

 fixed in the Spring of 1915, were, for the principal classes of fertili- 

 zers sold last Fall: 



Selling price Valuation 



Complete fertilizers, $21 . 79 $23 . 13 



Eock-and-potash, 16.89 15.75 



Dissolved bone, 21.52 18.32 



Dissolved rock, 13.83 13.41 



Ground bone, 32.79 33.56 



These figures speak for themselves. 



The raw materials market open to home-mixers has been much 

 contracted. The trade in mixed goods has always supplied reluc- 

 tantly the materials for home mixing, though the potash and nitrate 

 propaganda have encouraged it. Still, ready cash always has a com- 

 manding voice, and home-mixers paid cash ; while sales of ready mixed 

 goods through middlemen, were on long credit basis. There is an 

 agitation in trade circles for placing all fertilizer sales on a short- 

 time credit basis, and it is urged that farmers are now so well sup- 

 plied with cash that the present is an opportune time for the credit 

 readjustment. Those behind this agitation say that, with such ad- 

 justment accomplished, the cash proffer of the home-mixer will be 

 less attractive. 



With potash scarce and fertilizer prices high, what is the farmer to 

 do? Let him keep a clear head, in the first place. His products sell 

 readily at a high price, and the fertilizer is a minor element of 

 crop cost. He has heretofore bought with more thought of spending 

 little for fertilizer, than of getting for his dollar the most he can 

 secure of what his crops actually need. He has not been most careful 

 of domestic fertilizer supplies, though more careful than he was a 

 few years ago. He has been tempted to consider potash and nitrogen 

 applications more important than the crops said they were, as com- 

 pared with available phosphoric acid. He has often fed his quickly 

 grown, intensively worked crops of high price, little more than he gave 

 to his long-period machine-works grains and hay. In the present 

 emergency, he may have to do without much potash, but, as Dr. Jen- 

 kins of the Connecticut Station pithily says — "he should do more 

 ivith it." In addressing you last year, I discussed the principal 

 methods by which the farmer may meet the potash shortage. I have 

 little to add to what I then said, and will not take your time to re- 

 discuss the subject, 



FERTILIZER VALUATIONS 



When, 27 years ago, I was first charged with the care of the oflScial 

 fertilizer analyses, I was required to attach to the analyses certain 

 approximate valuations of the respective samples, and this require- 

 ment has continued. A like requirement exists in most other fertil- 



