ig6 CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS 



that has been adopted. If the zero price of compound 

 manures included all the expenses, it would not be possible 

 to put it lower than 5, and then there would be a difficulty 

 in producing the higher grades of manure on such a scale. 

 It will certainly always be to the interest of the farmer to 

 purchase the higher grades in fertilizers ; it is on very rare 

 occasions that the cost of the manufacture of these articles is 

 anything like proportionately high, whilst the farmer invari- 

 ably saves the cost of cartage. In these days of high prices 

 of labour, this consideration is becoming more and more 

 impertant, and manures containing only low percentages of 

 useful ingredients should be looked upon as articles of doubt- 

 ful utility. 



Storage of Fertilizers. At the works where fertilizers 

 are compounded, the products of manufacture are generally 

 stored in large heaps. Many of the materials are hygroscopic 

 and sufficient care is seldom devoted to keeping them dry. 

 It frequently happens that the works are situated on the 

 banks of a river, the damp air from which makes the manures 

 moist on any fresh-cut surface. Every effort should there- 

 fore be made to avoid, as far as possible, mischief from this 

 source. Overhead cranes and transporters are extremely 

 valuable for moving the materials from one part of the works 

 to another. In any case much hand labour must be ex- 

 pended, as it is impracticable to dispense with barrows and 

 shovels. The use of elevating barrows to raise sacks frou 

 floor to cart level helps in handling these substances, and a 

 simple rope and block tackle may also assist, but in any case 

 there is a very heavy expenditure in handling. Fertilizers 

 are often carried some considerable distance by rail, and 

 ten or twelve shillings per ton is, on^he average, expended in 

 this way. Transport costs are reduced when railway waggons 

 can be filled, hence 5 or 10 ton loads obtain favourable 

 terms. The transport from the railway station to the farm 

 is usually carried out by the farmer's own carts, and may 

 add another js. 6d. per ton to the cost. On its arrival 

 at the farm, the material undergoes further handling. Of 

 course the farmer would like to have the material carted 



