108 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



hjonest competitors, who would undersell him by means of wortliless goods. The 

 results of analysis are published only of the goods of such dealers as have com- 

 plied with the law and are willing to let the public know the real quality of their 

 fertilizers. If such goods are offered for sale in this State which do not appear in 

 this Bulletin, the prudent farmer will do well to avoid such fertilizers. 



GATHERING AND ANALYZING. 



The fertilizers are gathered in the open market by a representative of the 

 College, selecting specimens from a number of bags, if possible, to secure an 

 average of the fertilizer; it is then analyzed in duplicate to avoid accidental errors, 

 and the results of analysis then compared with the claims of the manufacturer. 

 The results as claimed by the manufacturer and found by the chemist are printed 

 in parallel lines for easy comparison. 



FEATURES OF THE TABLE. 



In the table are given the name and address of the manufacturer, the trade name 

 of the fertilizer, the name and locality of the dealer from whom the specimen for 

 analysis was obtained, and then the results of analysis, available nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, absolute potash or oxide of potassium, and a final column of the 

 estimated commercial value. 



Such approximate estimate is made by finding the retail price at commercial 

 centers of the different fertilizing materials, then from the amount of these several 

 materials in a ton, multiplied by the price, from the sum of the products thus 

 obtained we find the commercial price of the fertilizer. 



In this estimate we have only considered the first cost of the raw material. No 

 account is taken of transportation, the cost of mixing, sacking, commission to 

 agents, profit on capital employed, etc.. etc. For these reasons the commercial 

 price will usually be much below the price of the fertilizers in market. 



SCHEDULE OF COMMERCIAL PRICES. 



The following piices per pound for fertilizing materials have been used in esti- 

 mating the commercial value: 



Per pound. 



Nitrogen in nitrates 14 c 



Nitrogen in Ammonia Salts 13%c 



Organic nitrogen in meat, blood, etc 14 c 



Organic nitrogen in fine bone and tankage 13%c 



Organic nitrogen in medium bone and tankage 11 c 



Organic nitrogen in coarse bone and tankage 8 c 



Phosphoric acid, available 5i/4c 



Phosphoric acid, insoluble, in fine bone and tankage 4 c 



Phosphoric acid insoluble, medium bone and tankage 4 c 



Potash as muriate 414c 



Potash as sulphate and in wood ashes 5 c 



In the table of analysis the results are given as so many parts in a hundred. 



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 re- 

 sults of analysis. One per cent means 20 pounds in a ton, and if the material is 

 worth 5 cents a pound, then each per cent equals $1.00 for a ton. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE AND AGRICULTURAL VALUE. 



The commercial value and the agricultural value are not identical. The com- 

 mercial value merely represents the cost of the material to make the fertilizer, 

 if any one should attempt to make his own. The agricultural value or the 

 benefit from the use of such fertilizer will depend upon a variety of conditions, 

 such as the kind of soil, the crop, the season, the tillage, time of application, etc! 

 etc. Let no one suppose that the estimate of the commercial value is a guarantee 



