16 BULLETIN 798, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The reports by grades were satisfactory for a total of over three 

 miUion tons of mixed fertilizer, or about two-thirds of the total 

 reported as manufactured during 1917. These figures may be con- 

 sidered sufficiently complete to be indicative of the general situa- 

 tion. Table XI shows that 218 grades were manufactured in quanti- 

 ties of 1,000 tons or more. These 218 grades comprised over 95 per 

 cent of the total mixed fertilizer produced, while the remaining 4 and a 

 fraction per cent of the mixed fertilizer was distributed in small 

 quantities among 724 grades. Thirteen grades carried about one- 

 half of the fertilizer business, the leading ones being 2-10-0, 3-9-0, 

 2-12-0, 2-8-2, 4-8-0, 3-8-0, 2-10-2, 4-10-0, 5-10-0, 1-10-0, 3-8-2, 

 3-10-0, and 1-8-1. It will be noted that only four of this list contain 

 any potash, namely, grades, 2-8-2, 2-10-2, 3-8-2, and 1-8-1, which 

 had only 1 or 2 units of potash. This condition was primarily due 

 to the scarcity and high price of potash. 



The most significant fact brought out by the tabulation is that 

 the number of grades in the market could be reduced to less than one- 

 fourth of the present number without cutting down the production by 

 more than 4 per cent of its present quantity. 



There is a strong feeling in the industry that it would be helpful 

 if the number of grades manufactured were restricted in some way. 

 A trade agreement along that line would be advantageous, not only to 

 the fertilizer manufacturers, but also to the farmers. A large number 

 of different grades of fertilizer are produced which differ so slightly 

 from each other that no perceptible difference in their effect on 

 plants can be expected. 



STOCKS. 



The schedule sent to fertilizer manufacturers included a question 

 referring to stocks of different materials on hand on January 1, 1917, 

 January 1, 1918, and June 30, 1918. This information was asked 

 for when the end of the war was not in sight and when it was pro- 

 posed to have a periodical inquiry every three months or every six 

 months. The main purpose of the inquiry was to ascertain whether 

 the stocks of any ingredient were getting low, in order to take measure 

 to avoid the shortage, and, on the other hand, to see whether any 

 materials were being unduly hoarded by some firms at the expense 

 of other firms. Since there is no immediate prospect of continuing 

 the periodical reports, the information on stocks loses much of its 

 value. It is, however, appended here (Table XII) because it may be 

 of some interest to the users of this bulletin. 



The stocks on hand on June 30, 1918, were much lower in nearly 

 every case than they were on January 1 of either of the years 1917 

 and 1918, a natural result of the fact that most of the production and 

 sales of fertilizer take place in the first half of the year and that. 



