34 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



methods are accurate in determining the amounts of these ingre- 

 dients. How then can it be demonstrated that chemical analysis is 

 unreliable as a means of testing the quality and value of a fertilizer? 

 Manufacturers of fertilizers verj- generally employ a chemist to test 

 the quality' of the raw materials and chemicals which they purchase, 

 and to ascertain the composition of their manufactured goods, and 

 that these business men have confidence in the chemist is shown by 

 the fact that the}^ buy and sell material worth thousands of dollars 

 on the strength of his verdict. It is unreasonable, it is even worse 

 than unreasonable, to claim that the same methods which so 

 efficiently serve the manufacturer are valueless as a means of pro- 

 tection to the consumer. Granting, then, that the analyses are relia- 

 ble, the valuations are a safe means of determining the comparative 

 commercial values of fertilizers, within the limits of accuracy 

 already pointed out. 



There are given in this report the analj^ses of thirty-eight brands 

 of fertilizers, and it is to be noticed that more than half of these 

 brands have "estimated values" that are very nearly alike, 

 the difl'erences being mostly insignificant. On the other hand 

 certain brands have a low comparative valuation, which is 

 more significant from the fact that this year is but a 

 repitition of last year in this respect. The two brands of 

 Common Sense Fertilizers, so called, have a valuation of 

 $15.87 and $12.29 respectively, which is not so good a showing as 

 these brands made last year, and the prices for which the}' were 

 then offered were $35.00 and $20.00. The fact is, these brands 

 contain only from one-third to one-half as much nitrogen, phospho- 

 ric acid and potash as the leading fertilizers sold in the State, and 

 it is perfectly demonstrable that their cost to the manufacturer is in 

 about the same ratio as compared with the best goods. Why then 

 should their selling prices be so out of proportion to their cost? 



The tables which immediately follow give the history of the 

 samples taken, and their analj-ses. The comparative money values, 

 as calculated by the Station in the manner previously explained, 

 have much more significance than the excess of selling price over 

 valuation, because the selling price varies in some instances 

 according to the quantity of fertilizer sold, conditions of payment, 

 locatiou, etc. 



There is one point in connection with the excess of selling price, 

 however, to which attention should be called, which is that the same 



