CHAPTER XXII 

 COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS CONTINUED 



MIXED FERTILIZERS 



What they are. 



There are a large number of business concerns in 

 the country which buy the raw materials described in 

 Chapter XXI, mix them in various proportions, and 

 sell the product as mixed or manufactured ferti- 

 lizers. If these mixtures contain the three important 

 plant foods, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, 

 they are sometimes called " complete " manures or 

 fertilizers. In some parts of the country all com- 

 mercial fertilizers are called " guano." 



Many brands. 



These raw materials are mixed in many different 

 proportions and many dealers have special brands 

 for special crops. There are consequently large 

 numbers of brands of fertilizers which vary in the 

 amounts, proportions and availability of the plant 

 foods they contain. For instance, in 1903, twenty- 

 three fertilizer manufacturers offered for sale 

 ninety-six different brands in the State of Rhode 

 Island. In Missouri one hundred and ten brands, 

 made by sixteen different manufacturers, were of- 

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