102 REPORT OF THE CHEMIST OF THE 
ready mixed. The main consideration that presents itself as be- 
tween purchasing mixed and unmixed forms of plant-food is the 
question of economy. What do the figures published above show 
on this point ? . 
(a) Each pound of nitrogen in mixed fertilizers costs the farmer 
in this State this year 21 cents, on an average, while the schedule 
price is 14 cents. Hence, on an average, farmers paid for their 
nitrogen in mixed goods, at least one and one-half times as much 
as it would have cost them in unmixed forms. 
(6) Each pound of available phosphoric acid in mixed fertilizers 
costs the farmer 61-2 cents and in dissolved phosphate, pur- 
chased from retail dealers, it costs not quite 5 cents; while, pur- 
chased at schedule prices, it would be 4 1-2 cents; but as a matter 
of fact farmers were able to purchase available phosphoric acid in 
the form of dissolved rock for 3 1-2 cents and even less, or at 
about one-half the price which they paid for it in mixed fertilizers. 
In this connection, it may be well to state that soluble phos- 
phorie acid has the same value, pound for pound, whatever its 
source. At present dissolved rock is the cheapest source and this 
is the form in which farmers should buy phosphoric acid, if they 
desire to receive the largest amount of actual plant-food for their 
money. 
(c) Each pound of potash, mostly in form of muriate, costs the 
farmer 6 3-4 cents in mixed fertilizers, while in one sample of 
muriate purchased the cost was 4 cents. 
It can readily be seen that, in point of economy, under the con- 
ditions actually prevailing at present, farmers can buy their plant- 
food at much lower prices in unmixed forms than in mixed goods, - 
even when purchasing from retail agents. 
(3) How can plant-food be purchased most cheaply? 
If each farmer by himself buys plant-food, he can undoubtedly 
secure most economical results by getting unmixed materials. 
Still better prices can be realized by codperation. Attention was 
called in Bulletin No. 94 to the Riverhead Town Agricultural 
