21 



another in Birmingham, Alabama. Samples of products from these 

 two sources were not met with in our general markets during the 

 season. The retail cash price for the sample collected was $14.50 

 and the average calculated commercial valuation S11.G8 per ton. 

 The pound cost of available phosphoric acid from this material was 

 4.79 cents. 



MIXED COMPLETE FERTILIZERS. 



It is always interesting and instructive to compare the different 

 grades of mixed complete fertilizers that are offered to the trade from 

 year to year, and it is gratifying to note that the ntunber of low grade 

 fertilizers placed on sale is growing smaller every season. It is hoped 

 that in time all purchasers of mixed fertilizers may realize that it 

 is to their advantage to buy only high grade goods on account of the 

 very much reduced cost of the plant food which they carry. For 

 the sake of a systematic study of the different grades, the following 

 tables have been compiled. In listing, those having a calculated 

 commercial valuation of $24.00 or over per ton have been designated 

 as high grade, between $18.00 and $24.00 per ton medium grade, 

 and below $18.00 per ton low grade. Table No. 1 shows a comparison 

 of the three grades of fertilizer in relation to average retail cash price, 

 average calculated commercial value and money difference between 

 cash price and commercial value, for two successive years. 



The above table shows : 



(a) That on the average the complete mixed fertilizers have 

 cost about 9 cents more per ton than for 1914. 



(b) That the average calculated commercial value of plant 

 food in a ton has been 14 cents less than for the previous season. 



(c) That the percentage excess of the selling price over the 

 calculated commercial value of plant food in the low grade fertilizers 

 is almost three times more than in the high grade goods and is over 

 twice that in the medium grade fertilizers. 



