New York Agricultural Experiment Station. US'. 



6. Which is more Advantageous, to Purchase Complete. 

 Fertilizers or to Furchase Separate Ingredients? 



The question of home mixing of fertilizers is now being much: 

 discussed. Not a few farmers have adopted the plan of purchasing 

 unmixed ingredients and mixing them at home. When a farmer 

 once tries this method, he rarely purchases a ready-mixed complete 

 fertilizer after that. It is pertinent in this connection to consider 

 both sides of the question, both the advantages and disadvantages, 

 of purchasing unmixed fertilizing ingredients. 



Economy.— The average retail price of a ton of mixed fertilizer 

 is from $8 to $10 above the market value of its unmixed ingre- 

 dients Taking the 232 different brands of fertilizers collected 

 during the spring of 1895, we find the average retail selling price^ 

 to have been $31.43, while the unmixed materials would have cost 

 about $22 leaving a difference of about $9.50. In other States the 

 difference's found to be as high as $10 or more. This difference 

 represents the cost of mixing, freight, profit, etc. It is readily seen 

 that a portion, at least, of the difference can be saved by purchasing 

 unmixed ingredients. Many farmers who have done their own. 

 mixing, estimate that the mixing costs them 75 cents a ton on an. 



average. 



Definite Knowledge of Materials Used.-When separate 

 materials are purchased, the farmer can more closely ascertain 

 whether his goods are what they claim to be. Ground leather can- 

 not be passed for nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, etc. In 

 mixed goods it is not easy to detect inferior articles. The chances- 

 are that the farmer will get better materials in unmixed than in 

 mixed goods, although this would not be true in dealing with the 

 most reliable manufacturers. 



Variation of Mixture to Suit Different Crops.-By careful 

 observation and experiment the farmer can change his mixture 

 so as to adapt it more nearly to the needs of his crops and sod. 

 Manufacturers claim to manufacture goods which are specifics 

 for different crops. But it is noticed that the special mixtures 

 for the same crop, as made by different manufacturers vary 

 quite as much as do mixtures for different crops. For illustra- 

 tion taking 40 different potato manures sold in this State, we 

 find' that they vary in nitrogen from 1.50 to 6 per cent.; in available 

 phosphoric acid, from 4.75 to 11 per cent.; and in potash, from 2.o0 



