34 



The study of prevailing prices for chemicals and crude stock materials is 

 usually worth while for those who care to dispense with the greater conven- 

 ience which factory mixed goods offer, and who are not averse to mixing their 

 own formulas. Not infrequently a considerable saving will result from the 

 practice of home mixing. It is not, however, asserted that this would be a 

 good practice for every one to follow, particularly under the present method 

 of handling the trade. 



For those who are not in a position to study their own conditions and buy 

 accordingly, the following grades of fertilizer will in the majority of cases be 

 economical mixtures. They are all high-analysis mixtures of a composition 

 usually conceded to be fairly well balanced for the crops designated. 



It is probably safe to conclude that the selection of only high-analysis 

 formulas will do more towards bringing about a universal economical pur- 

 chase of fertilizers than any other agency that may be advocated. 



LIME COMPOUNDS. 



Thirty-six samples of lime products used for application to the soil have 

 been inspected. Twenty-two analyses have been made, representing 21 

 distinct brands. As a rule, guarantees have been maintained in a satisfactory 

 manner. The slaked limes showed an average of 61.07 per cent of calcium 

 oxide and 3.07 per cent of magnesium oxide; lime ashes, an average of 40.97 

 per cent of calcium oxide and 2.14 per cent of magnesium oxide. One of the 

 samples of lime ashes tested 2.43 per cent of acid soluble potash, which is very 

 unusual and indicates that a large proportion of wood ashes must have been 

 present in that particular shipment, as the average of 82 analyses made at 

 this laboratory shows acid soluble potash 1.38 per cent, with a minimum of 

 .16 per cent. Fine ground limestone has tested on the average 45.71 per cent 

 of calcium oxide and 4.30 per cent of magnesium oxide. 



The tables show the usual wide ^'ariation in the cost of 100 pounds of actual 

 calcium oxide in the various lime products. 



