The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-25

purchases for cash in New York or
Boston 1000 pounds of dissolved bone
black, 300 pounds of sulphate of am
monia and 100 pounds of muriate of
potash, and mixes these ingredients
together, he will have complete fer
tilizer, not essentially different from
many standard brands of ammoniated
superphosphates. The cost of the ton
after mixing Gf the farmer prefers to
mix the ingredients) will be made up
as follows: (a) Cost of the materials in
the markets, (b) cost of transportation,
(c) cost of mixing. The first element
entering into the total cost is the only
one included in the valuation" If
there is added to this one element not
only the charges for transportation and
mixing, but also the expenses of selling
through agents and dealers, long cred
its, bad debts, etc, we have the factors
involved in the cost of our ordinary
superphosphates when delivered at or
near the place of consumption. These
values, either separately or in gross,
are no sure indication of what the
value of the fertilizer may be to the
farmer in increasing his crops, as that
would depend upon many conditions
over which the manufacturer can eXer-
else no control, and in many cases
neither can the farmer, but the same
may be said of most of his operations.
For instance, any fertilizer, CONNER
cial or farm-yard, will be of no avail if
the soil and the fertilizer remain per-
fectly dry. The brands reported in
this bulletin are Bradley's Y L Super
phosphate, Cleveland Superphosphate,
Standard Fertilizer, Bowker's Hill and
Drill Phosphate, Cumberland Super
phosphate, Americas Ammoniated Bone
Superphosphate, Buffalo Ammoniated
Bone Superphosphate. OF these Brad
ley's gives the largest value per ton,
the Buffalo the largest value in nitro
gen, the Cumberland the largest value
in phosphoric acid and the Americas
the largest of potash, though the diff err
ences are in some cases not great. Of
the total values the largest (Bradley's)
is S31.72, the smallest Che Standard)
S27.03 and the average (seven samples)
S29.67. The bulletin is valuable one
to those interested in commercial fer
tilizers, as almost all farmers are, and
will be sent free of cost (both this and
all succeeding ones of the station) to
any one who will send his address to
Professor w. w. Cooke, Burlington,
vt. The law licensing fertilizers and
the Experiment Station working under
the law are of immense benefit to
the farmers, practically insuring them
against fraud and enabling them to
select fertilizers adaptedto such special
crops as they desire to raise, though
the name and reputation of old estab-
lished brands like Bradley's would be
sufficient guarantee for the quality
of the goods. 1t is question of some
moment whether some change in the
methods of sale can not be made which
will lessen the margin between the
actual value of ton of the fertilizer
and its selling price. For this margin
we presume the credit system and bad
debts have much to do, and the sharp
competition which puts smart agents
on the road who receive, and no doubt
earn, good salaries, something also.
How this may be remedied so long as
people want credit we can not tell, but
very likely the cash buyer can secure
the benefit of his ready money. We
| think it would be much better economy
for man to hire money and make his
purchases for cash than to make eX-
tensive purchases on credit.