PURCHASE AND USE OF FERTILIZERS 319 



with a shovel. The pile is then shoveled over several times, and 

 the mixture passed through the screen. Any lumps which fail 

 to pass the screen are beaten up, and added to the mixture. The 

 mixture is then shoveled over several times more. It is possible 

 to prepare the mixture without any screen, but better results are 

 secured with it. 



The question whether home mixtures equal factory mixtures 

 has been studied bv a number of Experiment Stations in the fol- 

 lowing way : Samples of mixed fertilizer prepared at home were 

 secured, and examined as to mechanical character, and the chem- 

 ical composition was compared with that calculated from the 

 amount and composition of the ingredients used. The mechanical 

 condition was, as a rule, good and the chemical composition did 

 not vary to any greater extent than samples of factory mixed 

 goods as sold on the market. The New Jersey Experiment 

 Station 1 says that it amply demonstrated in 1893, and corrobor- 

 ated in 1894, that farmers, with their ordinary farm appliances, 

 can prepare mixtures that compare very favorably with pur- 

 chased mixtures, both in mechanical condition and chemical com- 

 position. The Vermont and Maine Experiment Stations make 

 similar statements. The Ohio Experiment Station 2 compared 

 factory mixed goods with ready mixed goods in field experi- 

 ments, on corn and wheat and found that the home mixed goods 

 gave as good results as the factory mixed, or better. The New 

 Hampshire Experiment Station 3 secured a similar result on 

 potatoes. These experiments show that complete fertilizers can 

 be prepared by home mixing, which are equal in every respect 

 to the purchased article. It might sometimes happen that a mix- 

 ture is difficult to prepare, owing to the fact that the materials 

 have become lumpy and hard to beat up, but this is the exception 

 and not the rule. 



Whether or not it is profitable to make home mixtures depends 

 upon the conditions. It is certainly more economical to buy the 



1 Bulletin No. 113. 



2 Bulletin No. 100. 



3 Bulletin No. in. 



