Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-09
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS.
How to Arrive at Their Actual Cash
Value,

What do you really KNOW ABOUT coin-
mercial fertilizers? How do you get
at their value? Back in 1870 to 1880,
when farmers bought fertilizers In
wild sort Of way, they had little idea
of their real value. Many OF them
bought by the Smell" They would not
have guano, the odor Of which was not
high and strong. Manufacturers soon
learned how to get "the smell" in and
then 1t met with ready sale. There
were thousands Of tons sold at $50 to
$40 a ton that was worth less than rich
loan from the creek banks. In process
of time farmers began to get wise
They learned that there were only three
elements Of plant food that was neces-
sary. After a time they began to learn
that any one fertilizer was not suitable
for all crops. The materials out OF
which fertilizer was made and the mix
ing Of the same remained a mystery
for many years.
1t is easy now to get at the CONNER
cial value of fertilizers. Ascertain the
number of pounds Of plant food In q
ton and multiply by the price per
pound. Or multiply the per cent by
the price of each unit BY the term
unit in fertilizers is meant the per cent
of plant food.
Let this be illustrated. Acid phos-
phate, Ia per cent has IA units. If you
wish the pounds 1t means IA pounds
In 100; or 2S0 pounds in ton. The
price Of phosporlc acid a year ago was
fixed at the ports at 80 cents a unit or
"A cents a pound. Now IA units null
tiplied by 80 cents, or 2S0 pounds null
tiplied by Al will give $3.50. Ammonia
was worth $3.50 a unit or 16i cents q
pound, in nitrate Of soda. Potash In
t. t,,tk nlnfH
a pound. Any farmer who can use
figures can easily calculate the real
value of fertilizer. Take the S-2-2
which means 100 pounds Of phosphoric
acid, 40 pounds Of potash and 40 pounds
of ammonia in ton.
That Is there are only 240 pounds OF
plant food in the ton and 1,760 pounds
Of filler, worth generally no more than
dirt and sand scraped up In the road
But multiply the 160 pounds Of phos-
phoric acid by Al cents; the 40 pounds
Of potash by AZ and the 40 pounds OF
ammonia by 16a and you have the total
value equal to $3.50. Such guano
ought to be sold for cash here in Spar
tanburg lower than the present price
These prices were the retail prices OF
the raw material fixed in Charleston In
the fall Of 1905. Very little change In
value has been made since that date
The reasonable inference Is that the
farmer on all mixed fertilizers pays
Sc to So a. ton for mixing and freight.
The farmer who uses ten tons OF
guano pays about $40 to $50 for mixing
the same. He can do that about as
we'll at home. He needs a smooth floor
that will not leak A hard clay floor
Is good With shovels and hoes two
lively hands can mix and sack several
tons in a day. Cotton seed meal as
now made will give ammonia "a pei
cent; phosphoric acid %; potash Ii
High grade meal will give 81 per cent
Of ammonia, which is worth 17a cents
a pound instead of 163. Take this mix
ture:
1000 pounds IA per cent acid.
1000 pounds kainit.
1000 pounds cotton seed meal.
This will make two tons. The
available plant food is sos pounds OF
phosphoric acid; 1873 pounds Of potash
and rs pounds Of ammonia. The value
Of this at the prices fixed Is $33.14 FOL
the two tons. The farmer can get the
material at the following prices:
One ton acid ..................$l ~
Half ton kainit ................ 1.5e
Half ton cotton seed meal 80. 1900
Total cost ................. .$5o' oV
The analysis Of the above Is approx
imately 7.6-3.5-2. That Is equal In
value to the standard guano which
would cost $42 cash for the two tons
There is a saving Of $3.50 or 1925 tor
by mixing at home. The farmer ought
to have the cotton seed meal on hand