i8 



is situated in town and who must sell his goods at an increased 

 cost in order to secure a fair profit. It is hoped that the above 

 stated facts will explain man)' of the wide variations in prices 

 given in the following tables. 



The comparative commercial values published are 

 Valuations. obtained by computing, by means of the trade val- 

 ues to be found on a previous page, the value of 

 each of the three essential elements of plant food, (nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and potash, including the different forms of each wher- 

 ever different forms are recognized in the analysis) in loo lbs. of the 

 fertilizer and by multiplying each product by twenty to change it to a 

 ton basis. The sum of these values gives the total approximate com- 

 mercial value of the fertilizer per ton at centers of distribution. 

 Taking each element up in the order in which it appears in the 

 tables of analyses, the water soluble nitrogen is valued at i8}4 

 cents per pound as most of the soluble nitrogen in mixed fertilizers 

 is derived from nitrate of soda. The organic nitrogen in the mixed 

 goods is valued as coming from the best grade of raw materials and 

 is counted at 20^2 cents per pound. This method of valuing the 

 organic nitrogen in mixed fertilizers will, of course, give a too high 

 value on those goods in which the organic nitrogen has been derived 

 from low grade materials which possess slowly available nitrogen. 

 This seems to be the only course however at present, as the ordinary 

 methods of analysis will not discriminate between the available and 

 inert forms of organic nitrogen. 



Soluble phosphoric acid is valued at 5 cents per pound, citrate 

 soluble or reverted phosphoric acid at ^^4 cents, and the phosphoric 

 acid which is insoluble in ammonium citrate (usually termed insolu- 

 ble phosphoric acid) at 2 cents per pound. Potash is valued accord- 

 ing to the form in which it is found present in the fertilizer. When- 

 ever a potash test is reported in the tables without comment or foot 

 note, it will be understood that sufficient chlorine was present to 

 unite with all of the potash. Every brand of complete fertilizer is 

 tested for chlorides and if sufficient chlorine is found to unite with 

 all of the potash, it is taken for granted that the potash exists in the 

 form of muriate and is counted as worth 4^ cents per pound. 

 The presence of chlorine does not necessarily prove that it 



