4 N. H. AGK. EXPEEIMENT STATION [Bulletin 150 



When these prices or figures are applied to the ready- 

 mixed fertilizers it will be found that the value will rep- 

 resent about 60% of the usual selling price. In other 

 words, the cost of the potash, phosphoric acid and nitro- 

 gen has been increased about 40% by the mixing process. 



Of the brands of fertilizers collected in li)1(). tlio rdail 

 selling price of 94 brands of complete mixed fertilizers 

 were obtained. The price and average guaranteed per- 

 centage of nitrogen, available phosphoric acid and potash 

 were calculated with the following results : Nitrogen, 

 2.36%, available phosphoric acid, 6.83%, potash, 5.07%; 

 average selling price, $1.60 per hundred pounds. 



The consumer might have obtained the same amount 

 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash in the unmixed 

 condition for 93 cents. 



Stated otherwise, the average consumer who buys un- 

 mixed goods gets as much in the unmixed condition for 

 93 cents as the consumer of ready-mixed goods gets for 

 $1.60. 



These figures represent averages. There are instances 



where fertilizers are offered for sale at more than double 



the retail cost of the chemicals in the unmixed condition. 



Some of the high-grade mixtures were offered for sale 



at almost double the retail cost of the chemicals they 



contained. These, in some instances, are mechanical 



mixtures of nitrate of soda, acid phosphate and muriate 



or sulfate of potash. 



Heretofore it has been pointed out in these reports that 



the economical consumer would buy the high-grade mix- 

 tures; unless much care is exercised at the present time 

 the consumer will pay more for the high-grade mixtures 

 than they are worth when compared with other mixtures. 

 In other words, it is for the consumer to scrutinize the 

 guarantee tags carefully in connection with the i)ri('e. 

 The brands of fertilizers inspected for 1910 show no 



