SUPERPHOSPHATES. 151 



1207 Ibs. of Mineral Phosphate, at 20 cents per unit $5.62 



553 " of Sulphuric Acid, at 2 cents 13.45 



289 " of Water 



Cost of Grinding and other labor, at $5 per ton.. . 3.01 



Labor of mixing, and Bags 5.00 



2049 " $27.08 



49 " Loss in Carbonic Acid Gas. 



2000 " 



This ton of superphosphate of lime contains 

 280 Ibs. ? or 14 per cent, of soluble phosphoric 

 acid; and estimating the value of the ton from 

 the value of this article at 12 i cents per lb., gives 



280 Ibs. of Soluble Phosphoric Acid, at 12 J cents... .$35.00 

 Bags 2.00 



'Value to farmer $37.00 



This value allows a profit of $9.92 per ton to 

 the manufacturer, which is nearly 33 per cent., 

 if it is sold to the farmer at its real value. But 

 if sold at $50 per ton, the usual price, the man- 

 ufacturer makes $22.92, which is a profit of 84 i 

 per cent, on the cost of the article ; and the pur- 

 chaser is cheated out of $13 on every ton he 

 purchases, because the manufacturer exacts for 

 it $13 more than it is really worth. 



But the real state of the case is much worse 

 than this. The above shows what are the pro- 

 fits to the manufacturer when the -best possible 

 article is made., and the loss to the farmer when 

 he pays $50 per ton for it. The manufacturers 



