The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-02-18
Commercial Fertilizers.

The extent, value and Importance
OF the trade in commercial fcrtil-
zers is attracting very general no.
tice throughout the South Atlantic
| States. This is comparatively a
new element of trade, and from its
peculiar character, one in which
temptations to commit fraud are
quite as great as the facilities for
its successful accomplishment.
The real value of the various
articles offered i'll the market de-
pend upon scientific combinations
OF certain elements which agricul-
tural chemistry has shown to be
requisite in all soils to secure re-
muncrating crops. These elements
may exist in larger OF smaller pro-
portions than arc necessary or
requisite, or they may be totally
absent from given article offered
in the market, and yet not one
planter in a thousand would be
able to detect the deficiency by the
strictcst scrutiny.
In the purchase of other leading
articles for the Mantation-bacon.
rice, tobacco, salt, iron, mules-dc-
fects which would render the ar
tlclcs valucless or materially d;min-
lsh i'll value, can be readily dctcc-
ted by tho experienced planter
through the sense Of touch, smell
or sight, but, however acute those
organs may be, they afford no adc-
quatc test for the value of any of
the thousand and one compounds
now in the market, labelled "rcrti-
lizcrs," and offered as genuine and
valuable articles to the Southern
agriculturist. Two samples Of
commercial fertilizers, one of very
high grade, containing in we'll bal
anced combinations all the ncccs-
gary elements of high fertility, and
another utterly worthless contain
ing nothing but sand, water, and
a trace of ammonia to make it
"smcll,' may be placed before a
hundred of our best planters, and
we doubt if a single one will be
able to distinguish the worthless
spurious article from the really
valuable article.
This should by no means be con-
sldercd as a reflection upon the in
telligencc Of planters. AS VIC have
before stated, the value of fertili-
zcr depends entirely upon the pres
ence in sufficient quantities of Ger
tain chemical substances, which
science and practical experience
have discovered to be actually cs-
sential to the vigorous growth and
full Development of our crops of
corn and cotton, and which cle-
ments of fertility should be so CON-
bined rs to produce the greatest
amount of good, from the smallest
outlay of money. Whether or not
a bag or barrel Of s:fertilizer," of.
fered by the dealer to the planter,
contains in suitable proportions
the requisite amount of plant food,
can only be ascertained by a rigid
chemical analysis. To do this re-
quires not only the requisite scien-
tlhc requirements, but also the ap-
pliances and convenicnces of q la
boratory. Planters, as a class can
possess neither of these requisites.
Hence their liability to be cheated
when making their purchases of
commercial fertilizers.
The vast extent of this trade. and
its Intimate relations with the great
source of Southern prosperity, de-
m 'nds such Legislative action as
will best protect planters from the
imposftions which have been and
are still practised upon them by
fraudulent and dishonest maufac-
turers. The Legislature of this
State, at its last two sessions, pass
ed bills on this subject, which expe-
rience has proved to be defective
and wholly insufficient. The law
as it now stands, benefits no one
but the Inspector. The honest
manufacturer who makes good
fertilizer, and the dishonest one
who mixes indiscriminately sand,
street garbage, water, red dirt, and
a little ammonia, receive the same
benefits (?) under the law-that is
both articles are analysed, if the
inspector is competent to make the
analysis, and a stencil brand show
| tpo tho f0of nf "a, oa,oofso,, ,,o4l:,