BULLETIN NO 189. »
ANALYSES OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS.
The amount of plant food is all important in purchasing
fertilizers. When a farmer buys a ton of an average com-
mercial fertilizer he buys in reality only about 300 pounds
of the actual plant food elements. These elements are neces-
sarily in combination with other elements. For this reason
a fertilizer can never contain 100 percent of plant food ele-
ments. If he buys a cheap or low grade fertilizer he gets
less than this amount. If he buys a high grade fertilizer he
may receive as much as 600 pounds. The cost of sacking,
hauling, and freighting is the same. Therefore, it is evident
that the manufacturer can sell the plant food in a high grade
I fertilizer cheaper per pound than he can the plant food in a
low grade fertilizer. In other words the higher the grade
the cheaper can the plant food be bought. Farmers are
advised therefore to purchase only high grade fertilizers,
that is, those containing high percentages of the elements
which it is desired to purchase. This would mean, for ex-
ample, the purchase of 16 per cent. acid phosphate, rather
than a 10 or 12 per cent. grade. Farmers are urged to study
the fertilizer requirements of their soils before purchasing
fertilizers and literature on this subject may be had on appli-
cation.
Attention is called to those brands which have less than
two per cent. of ammonia or potash. Less than two per
cent. of either of these ingredients is too small a quan-
tity where such ingredients are needed. and where not
needed it is useless to purchase them. It is an utter waste
of money to purchase potash or ammonia in fertilizers con- I
taining less than one per cent. of these ingredients.
Number of Brands. There were 746 different brands of