No. 6. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

 Summary of Analyses Made this Season 



617 



o 



Number of analyses, .. 



Moisture, per cent., ... 



Pliosplioric acki: 



Total, per cent., .. 

 Availalile, per cent., 

 lusolulile, per cent.. 



Potash, per cent 



Nitrogen, per cent., 



Mechanical analyses of bone: 



Fine 



Coarse, 



Commercial valuation, * 



Average selling price, * 



422 

 7.89 



8.06 



9 

 5.91 



12.35 

 9.74 

 2.61 



48 

 7.99 



16. S7 



15.84 



1.03 



1.95 



2.01 



28.45 

 25.50 



16.47 

 16.90 



24.30 

 24.69 



13.97 

 14.00 



24 

 3.52 



21.46 



2.96 



63 



47 



30.26 



33.44 



♦Dollars per ton. 



The average selling prices for the several classes of fertilizers 

 as compared with the corresponding commercial valuations, show 

 several interesting discrepancies between these items. In case of 

 the complete fertilizers, the average selling price is $2.95 lower than 

 the valuation. The valuation was raised chiefly with respect to 

 potash, whicli had been extensively quoted in January and February 

 of this year at rates corresponding to 8| to 9^ cents a pound, ac- 

 cording to source. For 61 pounds of potash present in the fertil- 

 izer, this quotation represents an increase over 1914 values of $2.59. 

 If the potash in complete fertilizers is being sold at 1914 values, 

 the difference between valuation and selling price here noted would 

 be accounted for. In the case of rock and potash brands, such condi- 

 tion does not appear. 



In the case of ground bones, the average selling price is $3.18 

 a ton higher than the valuation. This price movement was not at 

 all indicated by either the New York wholesale prices up to March 

 1st, 1915, nor by the New England arid New Jersey quotations of 

 about that date. 



"For the purpose of indicating more specifically to the eye, cases 

 deficient from guaranty, an asterisk has been affixed in the analytical 

 tables where the ingredients has been found less in quantity that the 

 manufacturer guaranteed. Too great emphasis should not be placed 

 upon very slight deficiencies, because very sliglit imperfections in 

 mixing and slight .variation in analysis are practically unavoidable. 

 The asterisk has been used, therefore, only in cases where the de- 

 ficiencies amount to 0.2 per cent, or more, except where nitrogen has 

 been guaranteed in amounts no liigher than 1.0 per cent., in which 

 case an asterisk has been affixed where the deficiency amounts to 

 0.1 per cent, or more." 



The cases of departure of goods from their guaranteed composi- 

 tion observed this season, including only those cases in which it 

 amounted to 2-10 per cent, or more where as follows: 



