84 INSPECTION OK OOMMER( lAL FKi; 1 I I.IZERS. 



cent, and potash 1.5 per cmt. Several other brands guar- 

 antee the same aiaoimts of nitrogen and phosphoric acid, 

 but increase the potash to three per cent. Both grades of 

 fertilizer usually sell for $30 per ton, or $1.50 per hundred. 

 One contains thirty pounds less potash per ton than the 

 other, which at the trade value of potash amounts to $1.27. 



It is also worth while to make use of the trade values and 

 calculate the wholesale valuation of the fertilizers in which 

 one is intersted. It will frequently be found that some of 

 the lowest priced brands are the most expensive in propor- 

 tion to the plant food provided. 



A fertilizer selling for $28 per ton guarantees .8 per cent, 

 nitrogen, 8 per cent, available phosphoric acid and 4 per 

 cent, potash. Another brand selling for $37 guarantees 

 3.3 per cent, nitrogen, 8 per cent, available phosphoric acid 

 and 7 per cent, potash. The lower priced goods gives a 

 wholesale value of $15, while the higher priced brand shows 

 a value of $28.20, or in the cheaper fertilizer $1.00 worth 

 of fertility sells for $1.86, while in the costlier one it sells 

 for only $1.31. 



Another brand with an old established name sells at $35 

 per ton and costs $1.66 for every $1.00 of plant food con- 

 tained in it. 



The trade in fertilizer chemicals is not as extensive as it 

 should be if the small number of samples is a fair basis for 

 judgment. From prices secured of local agents, it was 

 found that availa])le phosphoric acid costs 6 cents per 

 pound in acid phosphate, potash costs 4.5 cents per pound 

 in muriate of potash, while nitrogen costs 18.5 cents in sul- 

 phate of ammonia and 19 cents in nitrate of soda. 



Ground bone furnished nitrogen at 20 cents per pound 

 and phosphoric acid at 5 cents. Since these prices were by 

 the hundred pounds they were reasonably close to the trade 

 values. At these prices, a ton of high grade fertilizer cost- 

 ing $37 could be bought for about $31 by purchasing chem- 

 icals. 



