The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-10
(From the Maryland Farmer. J
The Guano and Fertilizer Trade. Its character
and Importance. How it should be conducted.


sumo there is no trade less understood by those
interested purchasers, than the trade in tertl'
lizers. Farmers generally do not give attention to
the composition Of the fertilizers they buy OF con.
slider what constitutes their value That they
should do so, is manifest upon the least reflection.
All articles of merchandise may be divided INTO
two general classes. The first class embraces all
those articles of trade, the value of which can be
determined by observation and handling. AS
all men are possessed alike of the faculty OF
sight and the other Senses the ability OF all to
Judge of the value of merchandise of this class is
varied only by experience or practice. All men,
for example, having experience, can Judge OF the
quality OF grain provisions, groceries, dry gooas,
&C., and are hence competent to protect them
selves in their purchase OF merchandise OF tnls
kind.
The second class of merchandise referred to,
embraces all articles of trade and commerce IN
which the value ia hidden and consequently, in
the nature Of things, cannot be judged OF OF de-
termined by the ertdence of the senses. lhelr
value cannot be seen, tasted or felt, hence no man
can Judge of their quality as in the case OF mer.
chandise of the first class named.
Fgrtilzers metallic ores, such as copper, te9d
belong to this second class of articles Of trade and
commerce, and their value can be determined only
by men whose especial education enables them to
discover the proportion of ralue by inspection 1t
is we'll known fact that one copper ore is worth
more money per ton than another, because II con.
tains O larger per cent. of copper It is the guam
tity of copper contained in the ore which consti.
tutes the actual value. Now that cannot be
determined by observation or handling, hence the
dealers in copper ore, and other merchandise OF
this class, must furnish the buyers with the eri.
dence Of what amount of metal there Is contained
in the article for which he is required to pay
given price, and that can only be done by anSpec.
on and it is true that the sale OF all merchan-
die Of this class, except fertilizers, the buyer is
furnished with authentic reports ofinspectlon, and
the consequence is the buyers of copper ore always
get what thev pay for But the dealers in fertile.
zers do not furnish inspection reports of what they
sell, and the consequence is, persons have no as.
surance of the value of what they buy, and not
unfrequenty lose both money and crops, as many
can testify.
Now, the elements or substances which eonsti.
tute the value of all fertilizers, are precisely the
same and what they are is well known, and how
much of them is contained in any fertilizer can
be easily ascertained with absolute certainty, 80
that there is no reason under the sun why farmers
should not be furnished with the knowledge OF
what they receive in value, when they buy fertll.
xer the same as the buyer of copper or other ores
1t is a known fact that animal matter ammonia,
soluble phosphate and bone phosphate Of esme, are
the only substances in Peruvian and other guano,
and fertilizers of aOhaterer name, which gives them
their calue, and one is better than another just
exactly in proportion as they contain more or less
Of these things in proper proportion and condition.
This is matter of common sense; there's notnlng
mysterious or complicated about it; and all 1t
wants is a little attention and reflection. on the
part of farmers, to place them in position in
which they cannot be deceived. We have been
and are surprised that intelligent farmers will
come to our cities and invest large sums of money
in fertilizers, without the least knowledge OF what
they get as to value, except perhaps that they
had bought something of the same name before,
which turned out well. Whether It is worth the
price asked, they cannot tell. Whether they
could buy more of the substances for the same or
less money in an article of some other name, they
do not know. Is not this cropping in the dark
when light is highly important and easily had ?
Surely It is time for farmers to give attention to
this matter.
In England, fertilizers are sold. as copper oreis
sold, under Inspection.
Farmers can establish the same rule and custom
in this market, if they will refuse to buy from
dealers who do not furnish reliable inspection re-
ports of aohat they sell. These reports must DC
authentic; the dealer must be able to exhibit to
his customers the original acritten report OF the
chemist certifying that the samples were taken BY
himself from the bags or bbls. which are delivered
to customers This is tue only way in which this
business can be done for the protecon both OF
consumers and the legitimate trade.
Surely the extent and Importance OF the trade
demand that the same protection should be eS.
tended to farmers that IS given to the buyers OF
ores and other merchandise of the same general
class. JOHN p tthEsE
Pacific Guano is sold by the following author.
lied agents in the southern states, from whom
supplies may be procured by dealers at local
points: