Part I.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 17 



the case, and by one possessing very considerable knowledge of 

 the fertilizer business itself. It is apparently a fact, however, 

 that many of the most important fertilizer ingredients are 

 scarce and high in price, while at the same time freight rates 

 have advanced and transportation facilities are far from satis- 

 factory. 



The reasons for the increase in price of the mixed goods are 

 stated by a representative of one of the large fertilizer com- 

 panies, in part, as follows: — 



The supply of all kinds of organic ammoniates is unusually short, and 

 there is great difficulty in securing transportation by vessel or by rail 

 of crude fertilizer stock. Equal, or greater, difficulty is also being ex- 

 perienced in securing the necessary supply of sulphur — for the manu- 

 facture of sulphuric acid — in pjo-ite and in the form of native sulphur. 

 Most of the supply of pyrite has heretofore come from Spain, but with 

 the shortage of shipping, and the taking over of vessels to meet the needs 

 of the army and navy departments, the cost and difficulties of trans- 

 portation have greatly increased. 



Reports in hand show that bone meal, tankage and dried 

 blood are very scarce and verj' high in price. 



Sodium nitrate is said to have advanced in cost about 100 

 per cent, owing to the demand for it by munition makers and 

 the high transportation rates from Chile to the United States. 



The supply of domestic potash has considerably increased, 

 but some part of this increase may be offset by the demand of 

 certain industries for potash for manufacturing purposes, and 

 even by the government for use in manufacturing explosives. 



The causes of this deplorable fertilizer situation will not so 

 much interest farmers as the simple fact of the great advance 

 in the price of the finished product, — a condition confronting 

 them which is hard to meet; and it is a most unfortunate one, 

 too, for the entire country, since it is calculated to discourage 

 rather than encourage efforts for a larger food production. It 

 is a very serious matter for the farmer that fertilizers of 

 practically the same grade as those which last spring were sold 

 at $29 and $30 per ton are to be offered in the near future at 

 $44 and $45. Indeed, it may require exceedingly close figuring 

 to discover a probable living profit from their use. 



