No. 4.] CHExMICAL AND FARM MANURES. 181 



When I make such charges as I have made to-day, I am 

 too old and not yet foolish enough to make these statements 

 unless I have the stations themselves to back me up. I 

 quote from the Connecticut report for 1879, page 55 : " The 

 first wholesale cost of organic nitrogen is but a little more 

 than one-half what the station valuation allows as the fair 

 retail price. . . . During the past summer the unit of am- 

 monia in fish, blood, etc., has been worth, in New York, 

 but from $2.30 to $2.60. At $2.50 per unit of ammonia, 

 the wholesale price of nitrogen would be 10 J cents per pound, 

 with, in general, several per cent of phosphoric acid thrown 

 in. Now, what justifies the station in valuing this same 

 nitrogen when it comes into our retail markets at 20 cents 

 per pound, and at the same time allowing several cents per 

 pound for the accompanying phosphoric acid ? The station 

 only can answer that the retail market justifies the trade 

 values it employs, and would, so far as many of the super- 

 phosphates and all the guanos other than Peruvian are con- 

 cerned, justify trade values higher than it has employed." 



Professor Brooks. In order not to take more of the 

 time of the audience than is necessary, it is desirable that 

 some one who is thoroughly competent at all points to 

 answer these questions should assume the task. As Mr. 

 Ward has called upon me, I will say that in my work in 

 connection with the experiment station I have nothing to 

 do with fixing the trade values of fertilizers. Professor 

 Wheeler can give you short, pointed answers to these ques- 

 tions, which I feel sure will be satisfactory ; and in the in- 

 terest of the audience, because of the lack of time, I am 

 going to ask him to do it. 



Doctor Wheeler. I am ready to answer any legitimate 

 questions, if desired. 



In regard to the value of fertilizers ; ten or fifteen years 

 ago the farmers were paying a good deal more a ton for 

 their fertilizers than they needed to pay if they would buy 

 the ingredients at the lowest price in the open market and 

 mix the goods themselves. They have been taught a lesson, 

 and to-day they are buying the ingredients and mixing them 

 in large quantities. Some are making contracts to have 

 them mixed at the factories, and sending men to the fac- 



