The approximate market value of the different brands of fertilizers, 

 obtained by the current mode of valuation, does not express their 

 respective agricultural value, i. e., their crop-producing value, for the 

 higher or lower market price of different brands of fertilizers does not 

 necessarily stand in a direct relation to their particular fitness without 

 an}' reference to the particular condition of the soil to be treated, and 

 the special wants of the crops to be raised by their assistance. To 

 select judiciously from among the various brands of fertilizers offered 

 for patronage, requires in the main, two kinds of information, namely, 

 we ought to feel confident that the particular brand of fertilizer in 

 question actually contains the guaranteed quantities and qualities of 

 essential articles of plant food at a reasonable cost ; and that it con- 

 tains them in such form and in such proportions as will best meet 

 existing circumstances and special wants. In some cases it may be 

 mainly either phosphoric acid or nitrogen or potash, in others, two of 

 them, and in others again, all three. 



A remunerative use of commercial fertilizers can only be secured 

 by attending carefully to the above stated considerations. 



To assist farmers not yet familiar with the current mode of 

 determining the commercial value of manurial substances offered for 

 sale in our markets, some of the essential considerations, which serve 

 as a basis for their commercial valuation, are once more stated within 

 a few subsequent pages. 



The hitherto customary valuation of manurial substances is based 

 on the average trade value of the essential fertilizing elements speci- 

 fied by analyeis. The money value of the higher grades of agricultu- 

 ral chemicals and of the higher priced compound fertilizers, depends 

 in the majority of cases, on the amount and the particular form of 

 two or three essential articles of plant food, i. e., phosphoric acid, 

 nitrogen and potash, which they contain. To ascertain by this mode 

 of valuation, the approximate market value of a fertilizer, (i. e., the 

 money-worth of its essential fertilizing ingredients,) we multiply the 

 pounds per ton of nitrogen, etc., by the trade value per pound; the 

 same course is adopted with reference to the various forms of phos- 

 phoric acid, and of potassium oxide. We thus get the values per 

 ton of the several ingredients, and adding them together, we obtain 

 the total valuation per ton in case of cash payment at points of gen- 

 eral distribution. 



The market value of low-priced materials used for manurial pur- 

 poses, as salt, wood ashes, various kinds of lime, barnyard manure, 

 factory refuse and waste materials of different description, quite fre- 



