Food for But this does not tell the whole story. The Nitrogen 



^^^^ contained in these "complete fertilizers" is often in a form 



8 that is neither available nor useful to the plants until it has . 



become converted into Nitrate. The time required to do this 

 varies from a few days to a few years, according to the tem- 

 perature of the soil and the kind and condition of the 

 material used. In calculating the value of complete fertil- 

 izers, Nitrogen in the form of sulphate of ammonia, which 

 has to be converted into Nitrate before it is available, is 

 reckoned at two cents per pound higher than it can be 

 bought in the form of Nitrate of Soda. This is not because 

 the Nitrogen in sulphate of ammonia is any better than in 

 Nitrate of Soda, but because it costs more in the market. 

 This makes the fertilizers appear to be worth more than they 

 really are. But taking the figures as they are given, it is 

 readily seen that the consumer of these "complete fertilizers" 

 pays on the average 1^8.57 per ton more than would buy the 

 same amount of food in as good, and, in the case of Nitrogen, 

 the most expensive form of plant foods, better in unmixed 

 chemicals. 



Statistics gathered by the Station show that over one 

 and a half million dollars is spent annually in the State of 

 New Jersey alone, for "complete fertilizers." Considering 

 that the average "complete fertilizer" costs 25 per cent, more 

 than it is worth, it is evident that the farmers of New Jersey 

 alone paid ^375,000 more for their fertilizers than they got 

 value in return. And this state of things is not confined 

 to New Jersey. It is the same all over the country. The 

 farmers of this country are paying out millions of dollars 

 annually to the manufacturers of "complete fertilizers," 

 which they could very easily save by the exercise of a little 

 care and foresight. 



Would you not think a man very unwise 



. How to Save ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ somebody's "Complete 



Money on Prepared Food," at a high price, when he 



er 1 izers. wanted feed for his horses, instead of going 



into the market and buying corn, oats and hay, at market 



prices } 



The "Complete Prepared Food" would probably be 

 composed of corn, oats and hay mixed together, and the 

 price would be, perhaps, twice as much as the corn, oats and 

 hay would cost separately. It is the same with plant food. 



