FERTILIZERS. 



131 



The data for 1896 and up to October 1, 1897, are given in the follow- 

 ing table : 



Commercial fertilizer* consumed in the United states in ism; and up to October 1, 1897. 



Purchases for farm use as reported in census of 1890, at average value for 1896. 



Statistics of production and consumption of fertilizers are repub- 

 lished from the Tenth and Eleventh Censuses and from reports of the 

 U. S. Department of Labor and of the Geological Survey, and a state- 

 ment of imports and exports of fertilizing materials is quoted from 

 reports of the Bureau of Statistics of the U. S. Treasury Department. 



Returns from 1,495 cotton planters, giving "the cost of fertilizers used 

 in raising cotton in 1896 on an average acre under cotton cultivation" 

 besides "other items of expense and the income received from the cot- 

 ton and seed," are stated in tabular form, those who made a profit 

 being separated from those who suffered a loss and each class tabulated 

 according to the amount expended for fertilizers. 



"It appears that there were 21 planters who spent less than$l each per acre for 

 fertilizers, and that their average profit was $4.62 per acre. The planters who spent 

 from $1 to $1.99 per acre for fertilizers had an average profit of $5.09 per acre; those 

 who spent from $2 to $2.99 had an average profit of *5.34; those who spent from $3 

 to $3.99 had an average profit of $5.91 ; those who spent from $1 to $4.99 had an aver- 

 age profit of $7.96; those who spent from $5 to $5.99 had an average profit of $8.76; 

 while the planters whose fertilizers cost them per acre $6 and over, had an average 

 net profit per acre of $12.51. 



"It will thus be noticed that increase of expense for fertilizer in cotton raising 

 apparently leads to increase of profit, and further, that, as far as this table discloses, 

 the point of diminishing returns was not reached in the total for the five States that 

 are included, and where it was reached, apparently, in any State, the result is 

 probably a chance one due to the small number of returns." 



