Fertilizers 13 



use a half ton or a ton of fertilizer to get the requisite 

 amount of an essential element ; therefore, if one cannot get 

 the requisite amount of a certain element in low-grade fer- 

 tilizer for enough less to pay for its handling and something 

 over, it would be better to buy the high-grade fertilizer. 



In Florida and in most other states of the Union, the 

 state chemist publishes every year the approximate 

 values of 20 pounds of nitrogen (or ammonia), 20 pounds of 

 available phosphoric acid, and 20 pounds of potash, at 

 one or more of the principal towns of the state. Thus the 

 Florida state valuations for 1909 were : 20 pounds of 

 nitrogen are worth $4.01 ; 20 pounds of potash are worth 

 $1.10; 20 pounds of available phosphoric acid are worth 

 $1.00 at the sea-ports. Twenty pounds is of course one 

 hundredth, or 1 per cent of a ton, and is taken as a unit. 

 Hence if one has a fertilizer containing 6 per cent nitrogen, 

 10 per cent available phosphoric acid, and 8 per cent 

 potash, the value of a ton is readily calculated. 



Nitrogen = $4.01 X 6 = $24.06 



Phosphoric acid = 1.00 X 10 = 10.00 

 Potash = 1.10 X 8 = 8.80 



Mixing and bagging 1.50 



Total $44.36 



If a second fertilizer contains 4 per cent of nitrogen, 

 6 per cent of available phosphoric acid, and 6 per cent of 

 potash, it will be worth a ton : 



Nitrogen $16.04 



Phosphoric acid 6.00 



Potash 6.60 



Mixing and bagging 1.50 



Total . $30.14 



