472 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



following are illustrations of the methods by which brands may be 

 made up, the differences that may exist in the content of actual 

 fertilizing constituents, and the causes of variation in ton prices : 



Formula No. 1. 



Pounds. Pounds. P. ct- 



Nitrate of soda 500, furnishing nitrogen 80, or 4 



Boneblack superphosphate 1,100, furnishing phosphoric acid 180, or 9 



Muriate of potash 400, furnishing potash 200, or 10 



Total 2,000, furnishing total plant food 460 



Formula No. 2. 



Pounds. Founds. P. ct. 



Nitrate of soda 250, furnishing nitrogen 40, or 2 



Boneblack superphosphate 1,000, furnishing phosphoric acid 160, or 8 



Muriate of potash 80, furnishing potash 40, or 2 



Make-weight 670 



Total 2,000, furnishing total plant food 240 



Formula No. 1 shows a high-grade product, both as to quality 

 of plant food and concentration, while No. 2 is high grade only in 

 quality. In the latter it is necessary to add what is called make- 

 weight, or a diluent, usually consisting of substances that are of no 

 direct fertilizing value, in order to make up the weight to 1 ton. 



High-grade mixtures can not be made from low-grade materials. 

 Low-grade mixtures can not be made from high-grade materials 

 without adding make-weight. The advantages of high-grade prod- 

 ucts are concentration and high quality of plant food. 



It will be observed that formula No. 1 contains nearly twice as 

 much plant food as No. 2; or, in other words, it will require the 

 purchase of about 2 tons of a fertilizer made according to formula 

 No. 2 to secure the same total amount of plant food as is contained 

 in 1 ton of No. 1. Now, the material in No. 2, other than the actual 

 plant food, possesses no direct fertilizing value; but the actual cost 

 of the constituents is considerably increased, because the expenses of 

 handling, bagging, shipping, and selling are just double what they 

 would be for No. 1. 



As a rule that has but few exceptions, the more concentrated 

 the materials from which the fertilizer is made the more suitable (or 

 less objectionable) they are as food for plants. High-grade sulphate 

 and high-grade muriate of potash are more concentrated than the 

 lower grades, and correspondingly more acceptable to plants. The 

 high-grade sulphate contains nothing objectionable to any plant. 

 It is all that could be asked of a potash fertilizer. In the muriate 

 the potash is associated with chlorine, a material objectionable to 

 the majority of crops, and especially (and unfortunately) to some 

 of the crops requiring potash in largest quantities. The amount of 

 chlorine in real high-grade muriate is small, being considerably less 

 than the amount of actual potash, and may be used on the great 

 majority of crops with most excellent results. Lower grades of pot- 

 ash materials must be used with greater care. 



