New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 211 



salts, the available phospohric acid cost the consumer nearly as 

 much as in the complete fertilizers. In wood-ashes the phos- 

 phoric acid cost most, 8.6 cents a pound. 



In complete fertilizers potash cost from 3.7 to 14 cents a pound 

 and averaged 6.5 cents, and nearly as much in the acid phosphate 

 and potash mixtures. The least cost was in case of high-grade 

 muriate which cost 3.8 cents a pound. The highest price paid 

 was 8.6 cents a pound for the potash in wood-ashes. 



A careful study of the following table emphasizes two points: 

 (1) That the variation of cost of a pound of plant-food in com- 

 plete fertilizers is very wide, the highest price paid being over 

 three times as much as the lowest price paid; and (2) that there 

 is a marked difference in the cost of plant-food between complete 

 and unmixed fertilizers in favor of the unmixed forms. 



From the data contained in the two preceding tables, we calcu- 

 late the cost of the different ingredients to the consumer pur- 

 chasing at the prices paid. 



