FERTILIZERS. 85 



of writing (spring of 1885), nitrogen in some forms is 

 somewhat higher than last season. 



The word " organic " in the above table may be practi- 

 cally ignored by us farmers when figuring on these 

 fertilizers. The table is an estimate of relative commercial 

 values agreed upon by the chemists and directors of the 

 experimental stations of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and 

 New Jersey. In point of fact, competition forced prices 

 below these rates, as will be noted in the following table, 

 which gives the prices at which the nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid, and potash were sold in various combinations in 1884 

 by leading dealers : 



Cents. 



Average cost per pound of nitrogen in nitrate of soda . . 16.9 

 u " " " in sulphate of ammonia . 17.1 



" " " " in dried blood . . . 18.3 



' " " " in ammonite and tankage . 15.8 



" " " " in dried fish . . .12.5 



" " " in castor-pomace , . 20.2 



" " " " in hair manure . . - 10.3 



Average cost of phosphoric acid from bone-black, soluble in water, 7.3 



cents ; insoluble, 2.9 cents. 



Average cost of soluble phosphoric acid from South Carolina rock, 

 8. 6 cents; insoluble, 1.9 cents. 



Cents. 



Average cost of potash per pound in muriate . . . .3.7 

 " " " " in kainite . . . .4.0 



" " " " in sulphate . . .7.2 



The above are the retail prices, delivered on cars or 

 boats. 



Professor Cook of the New Jersey experimental station^ 

 from which valuable report the above table was taken, 

 states that the samples analyzed by the station in 1884, in 

 five cases out of six contained more plant-food than their 

 minimum guaranties demanded: they were better than 

 the manufacturers claimed. 



