142 Report of the Chemist op the 



A fertilizer contains 11.30 per cent of nitrogen, 14.23 per cent 

 of available phosphoric acid and 19.84 per cent of potash. 



11.30 (percentage nitrogen) multiplied by three, equals. 33.90 



14.23 (percentage available phosphoric acid), equals 14.23 



19.84 (percentage potash), equals 19.84 



, Total $67.97 



In case of fine bone-meal, use the total phosphoric acid in 

 place of the available in making the calculation. 



This extremely simple method will be found very convenient 

 when one desires to get at the cost of the unmixed materials in 

 a fertilizer. While not exact, it gives sufficiently approximate 

 results to serve as a helpful guide. 



6. Comparison of Selling Price and Commercial Valuation in 



Spring Goods. 

 An average of the composition of all the fertilizers, samples of 

 which are included in our spring collection, is found to be as 

 follows: 



Per cent 



Nitrogen 2.86 



Available phosphoric acid 8 . 28 



Insoluble phosphoric acid 2.91 



Potash 5.09 



Rating the nitrogen at 14 cents a pound, the available phos- 

 phoric acid at 5^ cents a pound, the insoluble phosphoric acid 

 at 2 cents a pound and the potash at 5 cents a pound, we find that 

 the separate unmixed materials contained in one ton of a fer- 

 tilizer having the foregoing composition could be purchased at 

 retail at the seaboard for $23.37. The average retail price at 

 which these commercial fertilizers sold was |2S.96; this is |5.59 

 or about 24 per cent more than the commercial valuation. This 

 difference covers the cost of mixing, freights, profits, etc. To 

 the farmer purchasing these mixed materials, the ingredients 

 cost as follows: 



Cost of one 

 P'lnnd, 



Nitrogen 17.3 cents. 



Available phosphoric acid 6.8 cents. 



Insoluble phosphoric acid 2.5 cents. 



Potash 6.2 cents. 



