54 
T would recommend a careful study of the above list. It gives 
a statement in brief of all the sources of nitrogen, phosphoric 
acid, and potash—the three principal plant foods ; and it pre- 
sents the prices at which these various manures are now sold in 
Melbourne as compared with their real value.* It shows that 
there are at present three really cheap manures offered, namely, 
dried blood, real value about £4 10s., offered at £2 10s. to 
£3 10s.; concentrated superphosphate, real value £21, offered at 
£13 7s. 6d.; and highly concentrated potash sulphate, real value. 
£14 10s., offered at £12. These are the cheapest sources of 
nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash taken singly. In addition 
to these are some cheap mixed manures, such as dried night-soil, 
worth about £2 to £3, offered at £1 to £1 15s. per ton; some 
samples of bone dust and offal dust also are offered at a low 
price. On the other hand, there are some manures which are 
constantly sold at prices above their intrinsic value. This is 
nearly always the case with special mixtures. Speaking 
generally, however, manure prices in Victoria are low as com- 
pared with other countries ; and the wide-awake cultivator who 
takes pains to look well into the manure market can make some 
very advantageous purchases. 
To show what may be done in this respect, let us take a simple: 
illustration. Suppose a man wanted to manure his orchard or 
vineyard, he buys, we will suppose, a mixed manure, which is 
sold to him under the name of “orchard manure,” at £14 per ton. 
He is told to put on half-a-ton to the acre. This costs him £7 
per acre, together with freight. On sending this to be analyzed 
he finds that the half-ton of manure consists of 4 ewt. nitrate of 
soda, at 18s., £3 12s.; 5 ewt. superphosphate, 16 per cent., at 
9s., £2 5s.; 1 ewt. potash chloride, 62 per cent., at 20s., £1; 
total, £6 17s. It is a good manure, and produces a very good. 
effect, and, considering the ingredients of which it is mixed, the 
charge for mixing has been only 6s. a ton, which is no great 
thing, This half-ton of manure will have given 72 lbs. of 
nitrogen, 90 lbs. of phosphoric acid, and 70 lbs. of potash to the 
acre of soil, and this will have cost him £7, exclusive of freight. 
Now, let us see what this man might do in the way of cheaper 
purchases. He now, we will suppose, buys his nitrogen as blood 
manure, which contains 9 per cent. nitrogen, and for which he 
pays £3 per ton. The nitrogen contained in blood manure being 
not quite so soluble as nitrate of soda nitrogen, he buys a little 
more of it. But as the blood manure contains also a little phos- 
phoric acid and potash, he needs to buy somewhat less super- 
phosphate and potash salt. He makes his mixture as follows :— 
8 ewt. blood manure, containing 88 lbs. nitrogen, 9 Ibs. phosphoric 
* Since the delivery of this lecture the prices in some cases have considerably altered.. 
See note at bottom of the ‘List of Plant-food Suppliers” at the end of this icone. 
