13 



the two cheapest sources of soluble phosphoric acid, f^^od for 

 Peruvian guano and Thomas slag are also excellent sources ^'^"^^ 

 of phosphoric acid. 



Potash can be bought, in muriate of potash, for about 

 4^^ cents per pound. 



Let us see what a " High Grade Complete Fertilizer" 

 made from these three sources of plant food would cost. 



600 pounds Nitrate of Soda, containing 46 pounds Nitrogen, costs. .^13.50 

 1,100 pounds superphosphate, containing 150 pounds phosphoric 



acid, costs 8.25 



^00 pounds muriate of potash, containing 150 pounds potash, costs.. 6.75 



2,000 pounds, or one ton, costs $28.50 



This fertilizer would contain Nitrogen 5 percent (equal 

 to over 6 per cent of ammonia), phosphoric acid 73_^ per 

 cent, and potash 73,4 per cent. 



A " complete fertilizer "containing as high a percentage 

 of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash as the above mix- 

 ture, would cost at least $35.00, and nine manufacturers 

 out often would charge $45.00 for it; and even then the 

 Nitrogen would not be in a form in which it would be 

 immediatelv available. 



If a fertilizer is wanted that contains no more Nitrogen 

 than the majority of the so-called " complete fertilizers " 

 sold for $28.00 per ton, it could be made for about $22.00 

 per ton. 



Are the Farmers of Europe More Intelligent 

 Than Those of America ? 



It certainly seems so. The English and European 

 farmers instead of buying their Nitrogen in complete fertilizers 

 and paying over 20 cents per pound for it, used during the 

 year 1890 over eight hundred thousand (800,000) tons of 

 Nitrate of Soda as a fertilizer, while not ten thousand tons 

 were vised as fertilizers in America. 



American farmers, gardeners and fruit growers are 



supposed to be readv to " catch on " to a good thing. And 



as soon as our agricultural papers let them know the facts in 



regard to the great value of Nitrate of Soda as a fertilizer our 



farmers will not be slow to use it. The reason why so little 



