17 



From such raw niaterials as are in our markets, without the aid of milling machinery, 

 mixtures cau be and are annually made on the farm which are uniform in quality, 

 line and dry, and equal in all resi)ects to the best ready-made fertilizers. 



The economy of homo-mixing depends, of course, on the prices which sellers of 

 mixed goods are willing to take and on the cost of fertilizer-chemicals delivered as 

 near the farm as mixed goods can be bought. There is always a chance for the farmer 

 who studies the market and the needs of his farm to save enough in the purchase of 

 liis fertilizers to make just the diti'ereuce between protit and loss on a crop ; and in 

 farming, as in everything else where competition is close, profit usually comes from 

 care in these small margins of expense. Perhaps home mixtures are not, indeed, 

 always and everywhere cheaper or more economical than commercial mixtures, but it 

 will often happen that money cau be saved by the timely purchase of raw materials 

 and their mixture on the farm. Each individual farmer ought to be the best or only 

 judge of the economy of home-mixing in his particular case, as well as of the " for- 

 mulas" which are best adapted to his soil and crops. 



BULLETIN No. 99, JUNE, 1889. 



Fertilizer analyses (pp. 1-5). 



IVool waste. — The sample analyzed appeared to be made up mostly of "tag-locks," 

 unwashed wool containing considerable sheep dung. * * » 



With nitrogen reckoned worth 8 cents, phosphoric acid 7 cents, and potash 4| cents 

 per pound, the total valuation will be $10.57 per ton. This slowly decomposing fer- 

 tilizer is especially suitable for fruit-trees and grape-vines or grass, where an enduring 

 rather than quick effect is desirable. 



The article also coiitahi.s analyses and valuations of " damaged corn- 

 meal," cotton-seed meal, and castor pomace. 



Reckoning phosphoric acid and potash at 7 and 6 cents per pound, respectively — 

 the rates used in the valuation of mixed fertilizers — nitrogen in cotton-seed meal costs 

 from 12.4 cents to 14.9 cents per pound, and in castor pomace about 19 cents. The 

 price of castor pomace has advanced ^b a ton since last year, and in consequence it 

 has become one of the most expensive sources of nitrogen, while last year it was one 

 of the cheapest. Cotton-seed meal has also advanced in price, but still remains the 

 cheapest source of available nitrogen. 



Bone manures. — Since the establishment of this Station, twelve years ago, there 

 has been a great improvement in the mechanical condition of the bone manures sold 

 in Connecticut, as is set n from the table, which gives the average fineuess of all those 

 which have been analyzed here during that period. 



The fertilizing value of fine bone is much greater than that of coarse bone. The 

 latter may lie iu the ground for j-ears, while very fine bone is readily decomposed and 

 taken up by plants. The improved condition and increased value of our bone manures 

 is, to some extent, a result of the action of this Station, which, iu the year 1879, first 

 carried into effect the method of valuation based on the mechanical as well as the 

 chemical analysis. Nitrogen iu the finest bone is now worth 16| cents jier pound, 

 while that in the coarsest boue is valued only at 8^ cents, and phosphoric acid is 

 valued at 7 and 4 cents in the two grades, respectively. Very finely ground boue is, 

 at present, one of the cheapest sources of quickly available nitrogen and phosphoric 

 acid. 



The analyses of twenty sam])les of bone manures are reported iu 

 tabular form. 



8400— Xo. 1 2 



