1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 63 



regard for the plant food which they are getting. The object 

 in buying a fertilizer should be to get the largest amount of 

 plant food in the proper form and proportion for the least 

 money. The high-grade goods approach as near this ideal as is 

 possible in case of factory-mixed fertilizers. It costs just as 

 much to freight, cart and handle the low-grade fertilizers as it 

 does the high grade. Nitrogen and potash in low-grade fer- 

 tilizers cost from a third to a half more than if obtained from 

 high-grade goods. The farmer cannot afford to buy low-grade 

 fertilizers. 



Unmixed Fertilizers. 



Miscellaneous Substances. — Ground Bone. — Thirty- 

 nine samples of ground bone have been inspected and analyzed. 

 Nine were found deficient in phosphoric acid and 5 in nitrogen. 

 None of the brands, however, showed a commercial shortage of 

 50 cents per ton. The average retail cash price for ground 

 bone has been $31.13 per ton, the average valuation $29.75, and 

 the percentage difference 4.64. 



Ground Tankage. — Twelve samples of tankage have been 

 analyzed. Four were found deficient in nitrogen and 4 in 

 phosphoric acid. The average retail cash price per ton was 

 $31.82, the average valuation per ton $31.28, and the percent- 

 age difference 1.73. Nitrogen in fine tankage has cost on the 

 average 20.34 cents, while nitrogen in coarse tankage has cost 

 15.25 cents per pound. Two samples have shown a commercial 

 shortage of over 50 cents per ton. 



Dissolved Bone. — Two samples of dissolved bone have been 

 analyzed and both were up to the guarantee placed upon them. 

 The average retail cash price per ton has been $20.67, the aver- 

 age valuation $26.17, and the percentage difference 13.37. 



Dry Ground Fish. — Twenty-three samples of dry ground 

 fish have been examined, of which 5 were found deficient in 

 nitrogen and 4 in phosphoric acid. The average retail cash 

 price per ton was $39.65, the average valuation $38.89, and the 

 percentage difference 1.95. Nitrogen from dry ground fish has 

 cost on the average 20.39 cents per pound. Two brands have 

 been analyzed, which show a commercial shortage of over 50 

 cents per ton. 



