Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-01-21
ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS,
Does their Use Pay the Farmer !?

L..
Does their Use Pay the Farmer?
1GN HEG3 T.
lIEssRs. EpiroRs The very able commu-
nication on the above subject, which appear
ed in your columns a few days ago, touches
upon matter which is Of great moment, not
merelyto farmers, but 10 theentii'e commur
nifty. The Importance of the successful pur-
suit of agriculture to the welfare Of state,
andto its advancement in material wealth
and social progress, is recognized by every
POLITICAL economist. just in proportion as
our farms increase in productiveness is oui
national prosperity augmented; and this not
merely by the actual yield OF the soil, bnt by |
the permanent improvement of our farms, |
which surely eusues uponlheir being brough' |
up to the maximum State OF fertility 80 IN
| timately is the business Of the farmer blend |
ed with all other ayoca,ions, that total or
partial failure of crops creates great derange-
ments in every department of trade. In re-
cognition Of this fact, at the approach OF liar
vest, with what hopeful anticipations are the
results regarded! The merchant, the bank
er, the manufacturer 40 well as the farmer,
knows full we'll that the question of more or
less abundant crops will exercise most
important Influence upon bis business en-
gagements; while to the mechanic, the hrti
IAN and The laborer, the problem is one of
no less consequence as affecting the price
of!daily bread In view Of the dependence
of all classes upon the successful pursuit of
agriculture. IL will be admitted that the im-
proyemcnt of our farms and the mainte-
nance Of their productiveness assumes q
momentous significance.
In the communication above referred to-
which deserves calm and deliberate study
: by every iafmer--your correspondent clearly
. states his views ofthe value of artificial ferili-
4 zars in brngiHg ianA up 10 II state of fruitful
ness Dasiug his arguments upon his own OBJ
l. seryations IL als immediate neighborhood,
: and drawing his inercnces from his own cX.
4 perencc ~ IN Intelligent practical tarmcr,h t
=. nuts the c4se Will great clearnuss and Us
= he deals ia Fl .ufcs. his assertions are I'm
"a answerahl Win such an array of facts /
l. seems Incredible that there should still bi
nc doubts us to tin. efficacy of commercial ma
nuros ..ud yel there are farmers, claimin:
u to DO endowed with common sense, who de
ms ride the lsl Gi fertilizers, and who still farm
u on the starving principle, by doing OH
on thin hall-tlled acres what little siab
manure they make, neither cultivating goo,
H. crops, nor improving their land.
/, During the past twenty years the labor .
w he arm ias been much ligh,ened. wiz
lg lhr imp we'd machinery aow almost uni
d vtistlly employed, and the concentrated
he fertilizers ~ the command of every agrcul
~, in,isl, mneA NJ the drudgcry formerly insep
.n a.,ap ltra. The farmers daily routine ina
y bvai d9He Away with. This dimnution i
~ manual laht.. however, has increased til
w. necessity inr meaial activity. No person d
r ordinary intelligence will be content to Ills
!, mechanical couiriyances without inquirin
4. more OF lGss completely into the principle
,.N which tlsr construction and operation ca
o' into play. In the case of concentrated icl
tilizers, the intelligent farmer will desire
snow something 81 Tic theory which es
H.. plIins ihyir .vtian; and hence, in bot
- instances, h. is furnished with subjects ia
ic study which tend to improve his meat,
,ur faculties. Fiat This effect has been produce
no is proved by the enormous increase i'll I'll
~, number anl circulation Of orr leading ayr
~ cultural papers, and the numerous public;
eau lions and reprints OF European works on IL
- subject, which are largely bought and en-
.en cry read.
Is but, 10 return from this brief depression
~ our obiar. is To extend the inquiry whethC
r5 artificial fertilizers pay the farmer and hcl
n, wc propose 10 use the word pay in its ma
ne rowest sensc--that which appeals directly
-nf the pocket. Mr.. Coursey has already col
ri | clusively shown that commercial manure
"a do pay thc farmer In his section of Il
Inv State, IN area OF but GIG square miles, the
ID were used last year TO the amount of PIC
III tons, costing more than $4,000. The
have accomplished their mission by large
increasing The annual yield of crops, as W.
AS, in some instances, trebling and quadru
ior ling the value of the land. What other /
"a ,es,ment could have yielded such handson
~" returns ? If others Of our intelligent farme
me in different parts and. the adjoining Stat
eek would take the trouble TO institute in The
ihe neighborhoods, the queries asked and so f,
Co. ly answered by Mr.. Coursey, they won
~ CONFER a gveos Ion, liz ulivlt ,iiv satnnz vut
rim munity. Win not some Of them take u
/ + hint, and give us their views through t
bile columns OF the ft{Gune
SOC. The Introduction Of commercial fertile
low In foreign counties marked on epoch In il
viii rirultural pursuits, from which dates
,ear steady and permanent increase III both qu
AXE ty and quantity Of crops. In Great lilti
the where bones were first introduced MS a Il
lie ,iiiHer, reliable statistics prove that ere
rs. were more than doubled hy tseir use.
ma great became the demand for them that II
6na were imported in immense quantities, a
ilch Germany, Russia, South America and
linz United States Slipped cargo after cargo
Re be used BY British farmers. Subsequent
German farmers became aroused to the
cessiy Of carefully outstanding their 81
plies of bones, and applying them 10 Ii
Nor land. The most credible Witnesses Con
4. Is in asserting thai tie increase in the prod
a,I iiytness VI lalld was almost miracut
C' Other European countries suon followed
'iia' oNampleand bone dust became and bus c