I'Aci^ ..?> i:a 
 
 0. E. S. UBR*R»- SOP- 2. 
 
 H3 
 
 CONNECTICUT 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. CONN. 
 
 BXJLLETIN" 122, l^J^^^, 1S96. 
 
 COST OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHORIC ACID AND 
 
 POTASH IN CONNECTICUT. SPRING 
 
 MONTHS OF 1896. 
 
 VALUATIONS. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 Cost of Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Potasli, 
 
 Nitrate of Soda, 
 
 Sulphate of Ammonia, 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal, 
 
 Linseed Meal, 
 
 Castor Pomace, 
 
 Dry Fish, . . . . 
 
 Dissolved Bone Black, 
 
 Acid Phosphate, 
 
 Muriate of Potash, 
 
 High Grade Sulphate of Potash, 
 
 Double Sulphate of Potash and Magnesia, 
 
 Cotton Hull Ashes, - 
 
 Tobacco Stems, 
 
 Wood Ashes, 
 
 Summary, . . - - 
 
 Proper use of Tables of Analyses of Fertilizers. 
 
 Summary, - - - 
 
 9 
 16 
 
Bulletins. 
 
 The Bulletins of this Station are mailed free to citizens of Con- 
 necticut and to others who apply for them, until the editions are 
 exhausted. 
 
 Applications should be renewed annually before January Ist. 
 
 The matter of all the Bulletins of this Station, in so far as it is 
 new and of permanent value, is made a part of the Annual 
 Reports. 
 
 H^^All Bulletins earlier than No. 71 and also Nos. 83, 93, 100 
 and 118, are exhausted and cannot be supplied. 
 
 Station Reports. 
 
 The Annual Reports of this Station, printed at State expense, 
 are by law limited to editions of 12,000 copies, of which 5,000 
 copies are bound with the Annual Reports of the Connecticut 
 State Board of Agriculture, and distributed by the Secretary of 
 the Board, T. S. Gold. 
 
 After exchanging with other Experiment Stations and Agricul- 
 tural Journals, the reports remaining at the disposal of the Sta- 
 tion will be sent to citizens of Connecticut who shall seasonably 
 apply for them, and to others as long as the supply lasts. 
 
 d^^The Station has no supply of its Annual Reports for the 
 years 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1887, 1891, and 1893, 
 but some of them may be obtained from Secretary T. S. Gold, of 
 West Cornwall, Conn., at the cost of postage. ^ 
 
FERTILIZERS. 
 
 RETAIL CASH COST OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHORIC 
 ACID AND POTASH IN CONNECTICIJT.* 
 
 Spring Months of 1896. 
 NITROGEN. 
 
 Nitrate of Soda. 
 
 The per cent, of nitrogen in the eleven samples recently ana- 
 lyzed ranged from 15.53 to 16.21 and averaged 15.92. The ton 
 price of nitrate ranged from |40 to 848. 
 
 The cost per pound of nitrogen ranged from 12.7 to 15.0 and 
 averaged 14.2 cents. 
 
 Several farmers who bought " mixed car lots " of fertilizers, for 
 cash, got nitrogen in form of nitrate at jsrices ranging from 11.8 
 to 13.8 cents per pound delivered, and averaged 12.6 cents. 
 
 Sulphate of Ammonia. 
 
 But two samples of this material have been examined. 
 
 They contained 20.84 and 20.92 per cent, of nitrogen, cost 
 $70.00 and $65.00 respectively, so that nitrogen cost 15.5 cents 
 and 16.8 cents per pound in the two samples. 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal. 
 
 Forty-seven analyses of this material have been made, of which 
 forty-two represented yellow hulled meal. 
 
 The cash retail cost per ton ranged from $20.50 to 624.00 per 
 ton. The per cent, of nitrogen ranged from 6.28 to 8.12 and 
 averaged 6.97 per cent. 
 
 Phosphoric acid and potash were not separately determined in 
 these samples, because the percentages of these two ingredients, 
 in yellow hulled meal, vary but little from the average, which is 
 2.81 percent, of phosj^horic acid and 1.85 per cent, of potash. 
 
 Allowing 4^ cents and 5 cents per pound respectively for the 
 phosphoric acid and potash, the cost per pound of nitrogen in 
 
 * All the analyses of fertilizers referred to in this Bulletin Have been made by- 
 Messrs. "Winton, Ogden and Mitchell, chemists of this Station. 
 
4 CONN. AGRICULTURAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 prime meal has averaged 12. Y cents, ranging from 11.2 to 15.5 
 cents.* 
 
 Four sami>les of dark unhulled meal, analyzed for farmers, con- 
 tained on the average 4.03 per cent, of nitrogen, 2.06 of phos- 
 phoric acid and 1.59 of potash. At $17.00 per ton nitrogen cost 
 16.8 cents per pound, at $15.00, it cost 14.3 cents : — in any case 
 very considerably more than in prime yellow meal. 
 
 For use as a fertilizer it will not pay the farmer to use dark 
 unhulled meal at any price at which it is now offered. 
 
 One sample analyzed was said to be from a lot which was 
 being shown to farmers in East Hartford and vicinity as repre- 
 senting goods for future delivery and offered at a little less than 
 the regular price for prime yellow meal. 
 
 The hulls in it were very fine ground so that it had the general 
 appearance of hulled meal a little off color. 
 
 Timely warning was given by the Station in the agricultural 
 papers and we cannot find that any such meal was finally 
 delivered. 
 
 LiNSEBD Meal. 
 
 There is now offered for use as a fertilizer screened linseed 
 meal which is very fine and dry. 
 
 Six samples recently examined contained nitrogen ranging 
 from 6.28 to 6.93 and averaging 6.54, with 1.79 per cent, of phos- 
 phoric acid and 1.22 per cent, of potash. 
 
 The average cost per ton has been $20.00 and the average cost 
 per pound of nitrogen 12.9 cents, ranging from 12.3 to 13.7 cents. 
 
 Castoe Pomace. 
 
 Three samples of this material have been analyzed this year. 
 The cost ranged from $18.00 to |20.50 per ton, the per cent, of 
 
 *To make clear the method of calculation this ezample will suffice. A given 
 sample of meal contains '?.12 per cent, (or pounds per hundred) of nitrogen, 2. SI 
 of phosphoric acid and L85 of potash. In one ton therefore are 20 times these 
 amounts, or 142.4 pounds of nitrogen, 56.2 of phosphoric acid and 31 pounds of 
 potash. 
 
 56.2 pounds of phosphoric acid at 4-|- cents per pound cost $2.53 and 37 pounds 
 of potash at 5 cents cost $1.85, or $4.38 for the two ingredients. The meal costs 
 $22.15 per ton. Subtracting $4.38, leaves $18.37 which is reckoned as the cost 
 of the other ingredient, — nitrogen, — of which there are 142.4 pounds. Diriding 
 the cost, $18.37, by the number of pounds, 142.4, gives the cost of one pound of 
 nitrogen which is 12.9 cents. 
 
FEETILIZERS. 5 
 
 nitrogen from 4.74 to 4.92 and the cost of nitrogen per pound 
 from 15.5 to 18.2 cents, averaging 17 cents per pound. 
 
 Nitrogen costs more in Castor Pomace than in any other 
 organic form. 
 
 Dry Fish. 
 
 Four samples of Fish have been examined. 
 
 Two of them contained nitrates, added probably to bring the 
 per cent, of nitrogen up to the guarantee. 
 
 These four samples contained from 7.56 to 9.42 per cent, of 
 nitrogen with from 6.58 to 7.22 per cent, of phosphoric acid. 
 
 Oil of vitriol is often added to the fish to hinder putrefaction 
 during drying, and this treatment partly dissolves the bones of 
 the fish, forming superphosphate. 
 
 Allowing 5j, 5, and 2 cents per pound respectively for soluble, 
 reverted and insoluble phosphoric acid, the actual cost of nitrogen 
 per pound in fish has averaged 14.5 cents, ranging from 11.4 to 
 1 6.6 cents. The price of fish per ton ranged from §26.00 to $32,00. 
 
 PHOSPHORIC ACID. 
 
 Dissolved Bone Black. 
 
 The average composition of four samples analyzed has been, 
 soluble phosphoric acid 15.4, reverted 1.95, insoluble .28, and the 
 average cost of " available," that is soluble and reverted phos- 
 phoric acid together, has been 6.6 cents per pound, ranging from 
 5.9 to 7.4 cents. 
 
 Acid Phosphate. 
 
 This name is applied to the material got by treating any min- 
 eral phosphate (Charleston phosphate, etc.) with oil of vitriol. 
 
 The three samples examined had an average composition of 
 12.3 per cent, soluble phosphoric acid, 2.1 reverted and .85 per 
 cent, insoluble. 
 
 The "available" phosphoric acid has cost on the average 4.8 
 cents per pound. 
 
 In "mixed car lots," delivered, purchasers have bought the 
 available phosphoric acid of dissolved bone black for from 6.2 to 
 6.8 cents per pound, of acid phosphate for from 3.6 to 3.8 cents. 
 
6 CONN. AGKICULTURAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 POTASH. 
 Muriate of Potash. 
 The per cent, of potash in twelve samples ranged from 47.50 to 
 54.13, averaging 50.61. 
 
 Cash retail prices ranged from 142.50 to $45.00 and the aver- 
 age cost per pound of actual potash was 4.16 cents. 
 
 Purchasers of mixed car lots of chemicals delivered, paid from 
 4.04 to 4.17 cents per pound for actual potash, averaging 4.1 cents. 
 
 High Grade Sulphate of Potash. 
 
 This material is quite constant in composition and on the aver- 
 age (5 analyses) contained 49.2 per cent, of actual potash. The 
 potash has cost at retail in this form 4.9 to 5.2 cents per pound. 
 
 Purchasers of mixed car lots have bought it, delivered, at 4.8 
 and 4.9 cents per pound. 
 
 Double Sulphate op Potash akd Magnesia. 
 
 The average per cent, of potash in the six samples analyzed 
 was 26.5 — ranging from 25.30 to 28.01 — and the average cost per 
 pound of actual potash was 5.6 cents. 
 
 A single purchase in a " mixed car lot " is reported at a price 
 which made the cost of actual potash 4.04 cents, delivered. 
 
 Cotton Hull Ashes. 
 
 Twenty-nine analyses, recently made, showed the usual wide dif- 
 ferences of composition, potash soluble in 2oaZer,. ranging from 15.40 
 to 30.64, and phosphoric acid from 5.96 to 11.68. 
 
 The average per cents, of these two ingredients have been re- 
 spectively 23.1 and 9.7. 
 
 Allowing, 5^, 5 and 2 cents per pound for the water-soluble, 
 citrate-soluble and insoluble phosphoric acid respectively, potash 
 soluble in water has cost from 3.8 cents to 10.9 cents per pound 
 and on the average 6.6 cents. 
 
 This potash is in the form of carbonates and phosphates and is 
 particularly prized by the tobacco growers, though it is equally 
 well suited for other crops. 
 
 Ground Tobacco Stems. 
 This is a finely ground powder having the composition shown 
 in the following analyses of two samples. 
 
FEETILIZERS. 7 
 
 Sample Sample 
 
 A. B. 
 
 Nitrogen 2.58 3.13 
 
 Phosphoric acid 70 .86 
 
 Potash 7.06 9.63 
 
 If we value nitrogen at 13 cents per pound and phosphoric 
 acid at 5 cents, the actual cost of potash in these two samples is 
 5.7 and 8.8 cents respectively. The samples contained only traces 
 of chlorine. The stems cost $20.00 per ton. 
 
 Wood Ashes. 
 
 These are usually regarded as a potash fertilizer but should 
 rather be regarded as a source of lime, in form of carbonate — for 
 which they are chiefly valuable, supplying it in finely divided 
 form and cheaply, considering its fineness. 
 
 The seventeen samples received this season have contained 
 from 2.04 to 6.66 per cent, of potash soluble in water and from 
 1.32 to 2.10 per cent, of phosphoric acid. Excluding two samples 
 which were evidently partially leached, the ashes have contained 
 on the average : 
 
 Potash sohible in water 5.07 
 
 Phosphoric acid 1.56 
 
 Lime 25.90 
 
 Sand and Soil... 14.50 
 
 Charcoal 2.00 
 
 Allowing 5 cents a pound each for phosphoric acid and potash, 
 the cost of lime, ($11.00 per ton for ashes), is little more than f 
 of a cent per pound, which is cheaper than lime can be bought in 
 the same form elsewhere. 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 In conclusion, to summarize the preceding facts, there is shown 
 in the following table the average retail cash prices of nitrogen, 
 phosphoric acid and potash in the raw materials and chemicals 
 named above. 
 
8 CONN, AGRICULTURAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 Cash Retail Cost Per Pound op Nitrogen, PnospnoRrc 
 Acid and Potash in Connecticut, 
 
 (spring- months, 1896.) 
 
 Cents Per Pound. 
 
 Nitrogen. ^^^~^~^^ 
 
 Nitrate of Soda 14.2 12.T to 15.0 
 
 Sulphate of Ammonia 16,2 15.5 " 16.8 
 
 Prime hulled Cotton Seed Meal.. 12.7 11.2 " 15.5 
 
 Unhulled Cotton Seed Meal 15,5 14.3 " 16.8 
 
 Linseed Meal 12.9 12.3 " IS.T 
 
 Castor Pomace... 17.0 16.5 " 18.2 
 
 Dry Fish 14.5 11.4 " 16.6 
 
 Available Phosphoric Acid. 
 
 Dissolved Bone Black 6.6 5.9 to '7.4 
 
 Acid Phosphate 4.8 4.2 " 6.6 
 
 m 
 
 Potash Soluble in Water. 
 
 Muriate of Potash. 4.16 3.9 to 4.3 
 
 High Grade Sulphate 5,10 4.9 " 5.2 
 
 Low Grade Sulphate 5.60 4.9 " 6.3 
 
 Cotton Hull Ashes 6.6 3.8 "10.9 
 
 Ground Tobacco Stems 7.3 5.7 " 8.8 
 
 Bone and tankage are not included in the foregoing discussion 
 because both contain nitrogen and phosphoric acid in hard gran- 
 ules, not easily soluble in water, and their value as fertilizers 
 depends largely on the size of these granules. 
 
 Therefore to determine the cost of nitrogen or phosphoric acid 
 in them would involve an estimation of the value of each ingredi- 
 ent in bone granules of different sizes. 
 
 This would lead us too far from the special object of this 
 Bulletin. 
 
FERTILIZEES. 
 
 THE PROPER USE OF TABLES OF ANALYSES OF 
 FERTILIZERS AND FERTILIZER CHEMICALS. 
 
 By E. H. Jenkins. 
 
 On page 162 of the Report for 1895 is a paper by the Director 
 of this Station, on The Best Economy of Concentrated Fertil- 
 izers. 
 
 The paper is designed to illustrate the facts that " the interests 
 of those who buy as well as of those who sell commercial fertil- 
 izers can be best promoted by a knowledge, well applied, of all 
 the factors of crop-production ; that the plant, like the man, to 
 flourish, not only requires an abundant and varied bill of fare, but 
 also a suitable lodging and the comforts of a well-appointed 
 home ; that the best economy of commercial fertilizers is to be 
 attained by intelligently investigating what special wants of the 
 soil or crop their various grades are adapted to meet, and what 
 further wants of soil or crop must be attended to in order to 
 prevent that impoverishment of land and landholder which other- 
 wise, sooner or later, is likely to ensue — the experience of which 
 has led many agriculturalists to the erroneous conclusion that 
 concentrated fertilizers are ' stimulants and not nourishment,' and 
 that they ' exhaust the soil,' whereas they merely aid the farmer 
 to exhaust the soil by rapidly removing, in the crops, substances 
 which the soil unaided can supply but slowly or insufficiently 
 and by impairing or destroying one or several of those condi- 
 ions which are indispensable to plant-production." 
 
 This knowledge the farmer can get, partly from books, but 
 partly only by careful and constant observation and experiment 
 on his own land. 
 
 He must know, for instance, whether the water supply and 
 drainage and texture of his soil are such that fertilizers can 
 come to effect on his crops ; whether his soil is specially deficient 
 in some one ingredient, as lime or potash ; and what elements of 
 plant food his several crops take off" from his soil, and how much 
 of them he can put back in crop residues and in stable manure. 
 
 Only when he knows these things can he make rational use of 
 the analyses of commercial fertilizers and fertilizer chemicals, 
 which are yearly published by this Station. 
 
 For it is clear that if his soil is cold and sour because of defici- 
 ent drainage, or is parched with drought in summer, money spent 
 in any kind of fei'tilizers is likely to be thrown away. 
 
 If his land is specially deficient in nitrogen or in potash, his 
 
10 CONN. AGEICULTURAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 first effort must be to supply these things by heavy dressings of 
 nitrogenous manures or potash fertilizers, and until this is done, 
 it will be of little use to apply phosphoric acid. 
 
 The question i-egarding commercial fertilizers to be settled 
 with the help of this knowledge of his land and cropping is : 
 
 For the given crop, how many pounds per acre of nitrogen, of 
 phosphoric acid and of potash is it wise for me to apply ? 
 
 It is in order to supply these three ingredients that he uses 
 commercial fertilizers. If these are not lacking in the soil, it is 
 idle to use commercial fertilizers at all. 
 
 We will suppose that he has decided to use per acre 65 pounds 
 of nitrogen, — 20 of it in form of nitrate, — 50 of phosj^horic acid 
 and 90 of potash. 
 
 He is now ready to avail himself of the facts which it is the 
 business of this Station to supply, and which will be found, in 
 pai't, in the pages of this Bulletin. 
 
 In studying the tables of analyses given in Station Bulletins 
 and Reports, his first question will not be — which brand of fact- 
 ory-mixed goods shows the highest Station valuation or the least 
 difference between cost and valuation, but rather how can I get 
 this 65 pounds of nitrogen, 50 of phosphoric acid and 90 of pot- 
 ash in the most available forms and at the cheapest price ? To 
 find this out he does not need to depend on Station " Valua- 
 tions " for help. 
 
 He can himself msike valuations more accnvaiefo)' his sjyecial 
 use, than the Station can make. 
 
 There are two reasons for this. The Station Valuations are a 
 general approximation, not for any particular place, but for 
 freight centers throughout the State, The farmer's valuation will 
 be quite accurate for his particular town or village. 
 
 Again, the Station Valuations are based on average quotations 
 for six months or a year. The farmer's valuation will be true for 
 the week in which he makes his purchase. 
 
 The Station's office is to show him what different articles con- 
 tain, what their agricultural value under test conditions is, to 
 protect him from frauds in fertilizers and to give him what gen- 
 eral information it can on the subject of fertilization. 
 
 It is his duty, not the Station's, to see what his fertilizers will 
 cost him and in what particular way he can buy cheapest. 
 
 Now the purchaser can buy this 65 pounds of nitrogen, 50 of 
 phosphoric acid and 90 of potash in one of two ways ; either 
 mixed, finely ground and ready to apply at once in commercial 
 
FERTILIZEES. 11 
 
 " Phosphates," "^Superphosphates " and " Special Manures," or he 
 can buy them separately in form of agricultural chemicals, etc., 
 then pulverize, if necessary, and mix them, or apply them to the 
 land separately. 
 
 In any case, the next thing is to find out the actual cost to him 
 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, when bought for cash, 
 each by itself. 
 
 This the Station does in order to fix a schedule of valuations 
 and a similar thing any business man would do before purchas- 
 ing stock of any kind. 
 
 The system of valuations is correct in principle, and there is 
 not a fertilizer manufacturer in the country who is not forced to 
 resort to it in buying his raw materials. 
 
 The system is continually misrepresented as being an attempt 
 to indicate what the fair price of a fertilizer is. It is nothing of 
 the sort ; but shows what the amounts of nitrogen, phosphoric acid 
 and potash contained in a fertilizer would cost on the average, 
 for cash, at freight centers in raw materials unmixed. 
 
 This information has been of great value as a general guide to 
 buyers. 
 
 After twenty years' experience under this system it is, how- 
 ever, believed that the progressive farmers of this State are per- 
 fectly capable of making valuations to suit their own particular 
 cases, which will be more accurate for their own conditions of 
 market than any which the Station can make. 
 
 In what follows it is shown how a valuation or schedule of 
 valuations may be made, accurate for the time and place where 
 made and how it may be used by the practical farmer. 
 
 Nitrogen. 
 
 It has been shown in the first part of this Bulletin that the 
 materials in which organic nitrogen is the leading ingredient and 
 which are in the Connecticut retail market now are dry fish, 
 cotton seed meal, linseed meal and castor pomace. 
 
 (Dried blood is not generally oflTered at retail, the "tankage" 
 in market — known as " bone tankage " in the trade — is more a 
 phosphatic than a nitrogenous fertilizer.) 
 
 No better forms of organic nitrogen than the vegetable matters 
 named above are to be found. 
 
 The experiments made at this Station during the last two years, 
 as well as the experiments of Wagner in Germany previously 
 made, indicate that the nitrogen of dried blood, of cotton seed, 
 
12 CONN. AGRICULTURAL STATION, BULL, 122. 
 
 linseed and castor pomace is about equally available ; and more 
 available than that of fish, bone, or tankage. 
 
 Therefore the choice miist be determined chiefly by the cost of 
 nitrogen with due regard also to mechanical condition. 
 
 Linseed — specially screened for fertilizer use — and cotton seed 
 are of about equal fineness ; the linseed drills rather easier because 
 free from lint. Castor Pomace is somewhat coarser. 
 
 Referring to the tables on page 8 it appears that the cost of 
 nitrogen per pound in these various articles has been this spring 
 as follows : — 
 
 Average. Extremes. 
 
 In Cotton Seed Meal 12.7 11.2-15.5 
 
 Linseed Meal 12.9 12.3-13.1 
 
 Castor Pomace 17.0 15.5-18.2 
 
 Dry Fish 14.5 11.4-16.6 
 
 It is evident that organic nitrogen costs (Spring of 1896) about 
 
 13 cents per pound, and that it may cost as low as 11.2 or as high 
 as 18.2 cents, depending on the purchaser's distance from large 
 markets, his care in buying and the use he makes of the Station 
 in testing the quality of the material ofiered him. 
 
 That is, he may save 7 cents per pound or for his 65 pounds of 
 nitrogen $4,55 by care in buying the one item of nitrogen. 
 
 He may reckon on getting the following quantities of nitrogen, 
 phosphoric acid and potash in every 100 pounds of cotton seed 
 meal, linseed meal, or castor pomace that he buys. 
 
 Phosphoric 
 Nitrogen. Acid. Potash. 
 
 In Cotton Seed Meal 6.9 2.8 1.8 
 
 Linseed Meal 6.6 1.8 1.2 
 
 Castor Pomace -- - 4.8 3.0 1.0 
 
 But if buying considerable quantities it will in any case be 
 wise for the purchaser to send samples for analysis to the Station 
 and in all cases to buy with a distinct guarantee. 
 
 We will assume that he finds he can buy cotton seed meal at 
 $22,00 per ton containing 6,9 per cent, of nitrogen, 2,81 per cent, 
 of phosphoric acid and 1.85 per cent, of potash, in which there- 
 fore nitrogen costs him 12.8 cents per pound ; and that he chooses 
 this form of organic nitrogen. 
 
 The nitrogen of nitrates can only be bought economically in 
 nitrate of soda, at a cost of from 12.7 to 15.0 cents per pound, 
 as appears from the figures given on page 8. 
 
 We will also assume that he can buy nitrate of soda, contain- 
 ing 16 per cent, of nitrogen, for 845.00 per ton. 
 
FERTILIZERS. 13 
 
 Phosphobic Acid. 
 
 The two available forms in which this is found in market, prac- 
 tically free from other fertilizer ingredients, are " acid phos- 
 phate," — rock phosphate dissolved by oil of vitriol — and dissolved 
 bone black. 
 
 There is no reason to believe that the soluble or " reverted " 
 phosphoric acid in one of these is any more easily available to 
 plants than in the other. 
 
 The acid phosphate is the form used by most manufacturers of 
 fertilizers, on account of its greater cheapness. It has a tendency, 
 however, to cake or set, especially when mixed with nitrate or 
 potash salts, unless some dry material, like cotton seed or linseed 
 meals, bone dust, or the like is added. Dissolved bone black, 
 however, never sets in this way. 
 
 Available (water-soluble and citrate soluble) phosphoric acid 
 can be bought in the latter form for 6.6 cents per pound. 
 
 In acid j)hosphate it costs considerably less, but for some reason 
 acid phosphate is not commonly sold by retail dealei's in Connec- 
 ticut. 
 
 It is, however, extensively used by farmers in other States with 
 excellent results and can be readily bought in the New York and 
 New Jersey market at low prices. 
 
 In car lots it has been laid down at freight centers for 810.60 
 per ton or less, this spring, and if there were demand for it, could 
 probably be retailed for $15 or less per ton, thus making 
 the cost of available phosphoric acid about 44- to 5c. per pound. 
 
 We assume for the purposes of our illustration that the pur- 
 chaser finds he can buy acid phosphate for 616.00 per ton con- 
 taining 14 per cent, of available phosphoric acid. 
 
 Potash. 
 Leaving out of account ashes, the chief sources of potash for 
 agricultural use are the imported potash salts, muriate, high 
 grade sulphate and double sulphate. As the table shows, 
 
 Averages. Extremes. 
 
 Potash in Muriate costs, cents per pound 4.16 3.9—4.3 
 
 " " high grade Sulphate 5.10 4.9-5.2 
 
 " " low " " 5.60 4.9-6.3 
 
 Returning now to the assumed case in which the farmer wishes 
 to get 20 lbs. nitrate nitrogen, 45 lbs. organic nitrogen, 50 lbs. 
 available phosphoric acid, 90 lbs. potash : — 
 
 From the data given in this bulletin and the quotations given 
 by dealers, he can calculate very accurately what they will cost 
 laid down at his freight station, as follows : — 
 
14 CONN. AGRICULTUEAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 We assume that he can buy nitrate of soda for $45 per ton, , 
 or $2.25 per 100 lbs.; cotton seed meal for 122.00, or $1.10 per 
 100 lbs.; acid phosphate for $16.00, or 80 cents per 100 lbs; 
 and muriate of potash for $42.50 per ton, or $2.13 per 100 lbs. 
 
 To get 20 lbs. of nitrate nitrogen he needs 125 lbs. of nitrate 
 of soda, costing $2.82. 
 
 Forty-five lbs. organic nitrogen require 652 lbs. cotton seed 
 meal, costing 17.1 V. This quantity of meal also carries about 
 2.8 per cent, or 18 lbs. of phosphoric acid and 1.8 per cent, or 
 11 lbs. of potash. 
 
 To get the remaining 32 lbs. of phosphoric acid will 
 require, say 230 lbs. of acid phosphate, costing $1.84, and the 
 remaining 79 lbs. of potash will require 158 lbs. of muriate, cost- 
 ing $3.36. 
 
 1 25 pounds Nitrate of Soda, costing $2.82 
 
 652 " Cotton Seed Meal " 7.17 
 
 230 " Acid Phosphate " 1.84 
 
 158 " Muriate of Potash " _ 3.37 
 
 1165 " costing $15.20 
 
 This represents a cost per ton of unmixed chemicals of $26.10, 
 with the following composition : 
 
 Nitrogen as Nitrates 1.71 per cent. 
 
 " Organic 4.00 " 
 
 Phosphoric Acid available 4.30 " 
 
 Potash as Muriate 7.72 " 
 
 The figures which represent the actual costs of nitrogen, phos- 
 phoric acid and potash in these unmixed chemicals are the 
 "Schedule of trade values," which the careful purchaser will 
 apply to the ready-mixed goods that are offered to him, viz. : 
 
 Nitrogen as Nitrates 14 cents. 
 
 " Organic 12.8 " 
 
 Available Phosphoric Acid . _ 5.8 " 
 
 Potash as Muriate 4.2 " 
 
 To illustrate : one of the high grade factory-mixed fertilizers 
 recently analyzed contains : 
 
 Nitrogen as Nitrates -.- 2.91 per cent. 
 
 " Organic 2.17 " 
 
 Available Phosphoric Acid 7.6 " 
 
 Potash as Muriate 6.8 " 
 
 and costs $38 per ton. 
 
FERTILIZERS. 15 
 
 This contains somewhat less nitrogen and potash and a good 
 deal more phosphoric acid than the particular formula of chemi- 
 cals above given; and on the whole contains per ton more cash 
 value of fertilizer ingredients by about $1.15. Deducting this 
 from $38.00, the cash price, we have $'36.25. 
 
 This $36.25 is then the price at which the farmer could buy- 
 approximately the same amount of chemicals as his formula con- 
 tains, finely ground, thoroughly mixed, bagged and ready to put 
 on his land. 
 
 The difference between this and the cost, 826.10, of the chemi- 
 cals unground and unmixed, namely, 810.15, is the price he must 
 pay for having the work of grinding and mixing done for him. 
 
 This brings him to the last question of all — which is the cheap- 
 est, to do it myself or have it done for me ? 
 
 If he is using only small quantities of fertilizer, half a ton or 
 less, or if he does not attend to it till the pressure of spring 
 work is upon him, unquestionably the latter course is cheapest ; 
 if the chemicals are, as is often the case, fine and dry, or can be 
 bought milled fine, for only a slight advance, and the amount 
 used is large, it will often pay well to do the mixing at home. 
 No general rule can be given, each farmer must figure and experi- 
 ment for himself, undisturbed by the dictum of those who have 
 had no experience in the work. 
 
 In what has been said we have taken for illustration quickly 
 available but also the cheapest forms of nitrogen, phosphoric acid 
 and potash which are on the market. 
 
 These are not always the most economical to use. 
 
 For instance, the use of muriate of potash on tobacco is fatal 
 to the crop, and the quality of potatoes may be injured by it, so 
 that the higher priced sulphate is used instead. 
 
 Again, some soils which are deficient in lime, as well as potash, 
 are more economically dressed with both, in form of wood ashes, 
 than by separate applications of stone or oyster shell lime and a 
 potash salt. 
 
 It is very likely that cotton hull ashes, by reason of the alkali 
 in them, pay better to use on some soils than either the muriate 
 or sulphate of potash, although the actual potash in them costs 
 considerably more. 
 
 Where land is laid down to grass, fine bone is preferred by 
 many to the more soluble and quickly available forms of nitrogen 
 and phosphoric acid. 
 
 There is often great advantage, too, in changing the form of 
 
16 CONN. AGEICULTURAL STATION, BULL. 122. 
 
 fertilizer from time to time, rather than in dressing the land year 
 after year in the same way. Such a change prevents an undue 
 accumulation in the soil of any one ingredient not assimilated by 
 the crop in considerable quantity. For instance, the use of super- 
 phosphate year after year, for a long time, may cause an accumu- 
 lation of sulphates which, by reducing the amount of carbonate 
 of lime within the soil, or in other ways, may be injurious. 
 
 All these points demand the careful attention of the farmer 
 and are matters which each individual must attend to for himself. 
 
 To recapitulate : — 
 
 1. Before buying fertilizers in any quantity, the farmer should 
 decide — from what he can find out about his land and the past 
 and prospective cropping, — how many pounds of nitrogen, phos- 
 phoric acid and potash he will use per acre, and whether any 
 particular forms of these ingredients are specially desirable. 
 
 This decision, involving, as it does, some thought and study, 
 though it may not accurately meet the needs of land and crop, 
 will make clear to him the uses and the limitations of fertilizers. 
 
 It is what no one can do for him, and it is certainly a great 
 advance over the plan of putting on half a ton or a ton of " fer- 
 tilizer " or " superphosphate " per acre, regardless of anything 
 but the cost per ton. This last jjlan, followed by many, is like 
 prescribing half a pint of " medicine " per day for a patient, with- 
 out naming either dose or drug. 
 
 2. The farmer should then get from a number of sources quo- 
 tations of such fertilizer chemicals as will serve his purpose with 
 definite guarantees of composition and clear understanding as to 
 rebates in case the goods are not as guaranteed, and in the ways 
 indicated in the preceding pages, calculate what he must pay for 
 the quantities of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash that he 
 has decided upon, delivered at his freight station. 
 
 3. The purchaser should then find out what he must pay in 
 cash for an amount of factory-mixed fertilizer that contains 
 approximately the quantities of fertilizer ingredients which he 
 has determined to apply per acre. This cost of the factory-mixed 
 goods will almost always be considerably larger than the cost of 
 unmixed chemicals. 
 
 4. This difference in cost between the two is to be offset against 
 the cost to him of possible pulverizing, mixing and bagging the 
 chemicals, and he has lastly to determine which will probably be 
 the cheaper method, all things considered. 
 
 This he cannot determine until he has followed the course just 
 indicated. 
 
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