34 



Report of the Chemist of the 



Comparison of Selling Price and Commercial Valuation. 



Giving to the different constituents the values assigned in the 

 schedule on page 356 for mixed fertilizers, 14 cents a pound for 

 nitrogen, 5^ cents a pound for water-soluble phosphoric acid, 5 

 cents a pound for citrate-soluble phosphoric acid, 2 cents a pound 

 for insoluble phosphoric acid, and 4^ cents a pound for potash, 

 we can calculate the commercial valuation, or the price, at which 

 the separate unmixed materials contained in one ton of fertilizer, 

 having the composition indicated in the preceding table, could be 

 purchased for cash at retail at the seaboard. Knowing the retail 

 prices at which these goods were offered for sale^ we can also 

 readily estimate the difference between the actual selling price 

 of the mixed goods and the retail cash cost of the unmixed ma- 

 terials; the difference covers the cost of mixing, freight, profits, 

 etc. iWe present these data in the following table, including 

 onl}' complete fertilizers. 



Commercial Valuation and Selling Price of Fertilizers. 



Cost op One Pound of Plant-Food in Mixed Fertilizers as 

 Purchased by Consumers. ' 



In the table following we present figures showing the lowest, 

 highest and average cost to the purchaser of one pound of plant- 

 food in different forms. 



