136 AGRICULTURE. 



VALiUATION OF MANURES AND FERTILIZERS. 



The valuation of fertilizing ingredients shown below (see 

 p. 137) is the one agreed upon by a number of Eastern 

 experiment and fertilizer control stations after a careful 

 study of the retail prices of crude products of fertilizers 

 during the six months prior to March i, 1896. It expresses 

 the commercial value of the fertilizers, and not their agri- 

 cultural value, which will vary according to the require- 

 ments of the land and the character of the crops grown. 

 Fertilizers are sold in States having fertilizer control, on 

 the basis of a guarantee of a minimum content of potash, 

 phosphoric acid, and nitrogen, singly or combined, and it 

 is the office of the fertilizer control stations to watch that 

 goods offered for sale in their respective states are up to 

 the guarantee. Farmers living in states where fertilizer 

 laws are enacted (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Dela- 

 ware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louis- 

 iana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missis- 

 sippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

 North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South 

 Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wis- 

 consin) should not buy fertilizers except on guarantee; and 

 should examine the fertilizer bulletins published by their 

 respective stations to ascertain that the goods put on the 

 market are not below the guarantee, and that the valuation 

 price is not below the selling price of the article. Where 

 a reasonable suspicion of fraud exists, apply to the direc- 

 tor of the experiment station for information concerning 

 the goods offered for sale or the firm placing them on the 

 market. 



