October, 1923] fertilizer inspection, 1923 7 



higher in the low analysis fertilizer. The average cost of 

 a 1-8-2 fertilizer the past season was $38.40. The value of 

 the 8 units of phosphoric acid was 8 times $2.04 or $16.32. 

 The value of the two units of potash was 2 times $1.00 or 

 $2.00. The value of the available phosphoric acid and pot- 

 ash then was $16.32 plus $2.00 or $18.32 and the nitrogen 

 cost $38.40 minus $18.32 or $20.08. The average content 

 of nitrogen was 1.12 per cent. One ton contained 1.12 

 times 2,000 or 22.4 pounds of nitrogen. The cost per pound 

 of nitrogen was $20.08 divided by 22.4 or $0.90. The cost 

 per unit was 20 times ^.90 or $18.00; On the same basis 

 the average cost per unit of nitrogen in a 4-8-4 fertilizer 

 is $7.60 or less than half as much as in the 1-8-2 fertilizer. 

 Table No. 1 gives the cost of nitrogen in the different 

 brands of complete fertilizer analyzed this past year. 



TABLE NO. I 



Relative Cost of Nitrogen in the Various Complete Fertil- 

 izers 



