42 FERTILIZERS 



solubility is largely lost and the total amount of 

 phosphoric acid purchased is small, yet its better 

 distribution in the soil by water, may compensate 

 for reversion. (8). 



THE "SIMPLES" AND HOME MIXTURES. 



64. The "simples" are the original materials or the 

 bases of which factory-mixed fertilizers are composed. 

 They are such materials, as nitrate of soda, pure 

 blood, sulphate of ammonia, potash, salts, bone, 

 phosphate rock, super phosphates, etc. Tankage 

 and the guanos are "simples," as they are the bases 

 of manufactured brands. There are low and high 

 grades of the "simples" as well as of brands, and 

 guarantees should always be obtained by the buyer. 



Sometimes these materials can be purchased 

 cheaper separately than when mixed. Such is the 

 case if the buyer is near a seaport or near the source 

 of the material. The advantages are, the buyer 

 knows what he is getting ; he buys only the ingre- 

 dients he needs and he buys direct. Such advantages 

 however, do not always hold if the quantity wanted 

 is less than a carload. 



If, however, a complete fertilizer is needed, it is 

 better to buy of a reliable manufacturer, as the goods 

 are then mixed and blended more evenly and cheaply. 

 If several ingredients are needed and these can be 

 purchased to advantage separately, it would be 

 better to apply them separately than to attempt 

 home mixing, for a shovel and a barn floor will not 

 mix materials evenly and uniformly without extreme 

 care. 



As a rule home mixing pays when compared with 

 the purchase of low grade brands. If the manufac- 



