

188 Report oF THE DirEcTOR OF THE | 
actually present, while on the other hand the maximum cuoruitee e 
has no legal force not only, but is practically valueless as indicat- es 
ing the amount actually present, there is reason to believe that 
the present system of guarantee, which is practically, if not x 
intentionally, misleading will be abandoned. ri 
If in the average analyses found we allow fifteen cant per 
pound for the nitrogen, which is within one-half a cent of the — 
value of nitrogen in nitrate of soda; six and one-fourth cents a 
pound for available phosphoric acid, iene is the average market — 
value of the soluble and reverted forms, and four and one-half 
cents per pound for the potash, which is its value in Kainite, we — 
find that the average fertilizer of the 200 spring samples contained. 
in a ton as follows: ioe 
47.46 pounds nitrogen, at 15 cents ......... .....0.. $7 12 
179.04 pounds available phosphoric acid, at 64 cents... I11 64° 
$1.10 potinds potash at 44 cents ......3.2. 0. Jeo cee 3 65 
Total net value per'ton: ee raw co re ee $29 41 
Also, that an average ton of the 130 fall samples contained as y 
follows: 
29.60 pounds nitrogen, at 15 cents ...........0....+- $4 44 
197.2 pounds available phosphoric acid, at 6¢ cents... 12 33 
47.6 pounds potash, at 44 cents: . 1.5.25... 6. see wees 2 14 
Total net value per ton ....... ae ead a te oe aa $18 91 
The average cost’ to the farmer of these was for the spring 
$30.15 per ton, and for the fall $27.56 per ton, a difference of 
$2. 97, but, as we see above, | the actual difference in value as 
determined by composition was $3.50, so that, although costing 
more per ton, the average spring cede were sold at the lowest 
price a orine to real value. me 
This difference, though small, is worthy of further considera. _ 
tion. The farmers of New York annually expend about $4,000,000 
for commercial fertilizers.’ This sum would buy 132,670 tons at 
the average spring prices, and 145,138 tons at the average fall ~ 
prices, and at the calculated values above given the farmers col- 

