Our Plants. 29 



ysis) is worth $30 (which is about the average price 

 of fertilizers of that grade), then a ton of clover hay 

 is worth nearly $15, a ton of wheat bran about $16, 

 a ton of oil cake $30, while a ton of cotton-seed meal 

 contains as much plant food, ton for ton, as a $30 

 fertilizer, and can be bought for $6 per ton less. 

 That is their value, or what you would have to pay 

 for the same amount of plant food if bought in the 

 form of commercial fertilizers, to say nothing about 

 the value of the grains and forage crops as a food 

 for stock. Say nothing about the increased value of 

 plant food as supplied in barnyard manure above 

 any form of commercial fertilizer. Put it the other 

 way about. 



If a ton of clover hay contains plant food to the 

 value of $9.78, wheat bran $12.28, oil cake $20.40, 

 cotton-seed meal $23, then a ton of commercial 

 fertilizer that sells for $30 is worth only about $23 ; 

 a ton of fertilizer costing $37, about $30. 



If you say that I have put the value of commer- 

 cial fertilizer too low, then all values set down in 

 the tables are too low. If, on the other hand, you 

 say that the forage and feed have been given too 

 high a value as manure, then commercial fertilizers 

 have also been given too high a value. They are 

 both figured on the same basis. 



Selling grain to buy fertilizer seems to me such 

 an extravagant way. 



When we pay $30 for a ton of commercial fertilizer, 

 the money goes off the farm. When we grow an equal 

 amount of plant food and retain it on the farm, we 



