Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-06-11
For the vERNoNr FARNER.
Commercial Fertilizers.


Professor Charles A. Goessmaun, Of the
Massachusetts, Agricultural College, and
state inspector Of fertilizers, at the close Of
bis second annual report on fertilizers, says 4:
" For those who arc still doubling that q
chemical examination of our commercial fer.
t~ilizers will ultimately benefit the vital agri-
cultural interests OF the country, | desire TO
notice the opinion Of one Of the leading agri-
cultural chemists and foremost practical ag-
riculturists Of Europe. Prof. A. Streck-
hardt, Of Saxony, closes his review of my
FIRST report on commercial fertilizers, with
the following remark There can be no
doubt that American agriculture will arrive
at satisfactory results, like ourselves, ia OBJ
tanning reliable fertilizers, by strictly adler.
ing to the chemical control adopted, aud by
providing for chemistry what il needs for
efficient work, both confidence and ample
MEANS"
Professor Samuel W. johnson, chemist TO
tho state board Of agriculture Of Connecticut,
in a recent address, said "The same stu
pendous frauds by adulteration aud dilution
of good things were practiced in Germany,
as they have been, and, We have great rea-
son TO fear, still arc carried on here. But
the experiment station has perfectly cured
and rooted out these evils in all the districts
where it has been established. Now the
German farmer will buy no fertilizer with.
out an exact statement Of its composition,
and the fertilizer marked in Saxony and
Prussia, where the experiment station has
the universal sanction and confidence Of the
| G.-..u.. .. ...A -. ..ANlal IL ,,a.ck.-. =.
any branch Of trade, and the farmers there
buy superphosphate, guano, potash salts,
&C., with as much security Of fair dealing as
we can feel in the purchase Of sugar or
nails"
Prof. w. o. Atwater, of Wesleyan Uni
versity, quotes a leading Prussian manufac-
turer of fertilizers as saying: Z" l consider
any system which grounds the hope Of secur-
ity against imposition on any other basis
than that Of actual chemical examination of
the wares bought, by parties working in the
interests of the buyer, as sheer nonsense
My own observations while at the exhibi.
ton at Vienna, and the results Of very ex-
tended inquiry among the various manufac.
turers aud dealers both in England and upon
the continent abundantly confirm the above
testimony, if confirmation were needed.
An intelligent demand from the farmers Of
Europe, has filled their markets with u class
Of fertilizers, which for real value, are, in
our own country, rarely ever Appropriated
So soon as our people practically understand
that by calling an article q fertilizer it is
not necessarily proved to be one so soon as
they learn that it is for the soluble phos
phoric acid that they buy q superphosphate
for the nitrogen that they buy fish scrap and
similar fertilizers aud for potash that ashes
are almost wholly valuable, then we may ex-
pect TO find our manufacturers and dealer:
10 commercial fertilizers competing with each
other, as is the case in Germany and En-
gland to-day, and estimating their wares, no
at 50 much per ton, but by the amount OIL
these three constituents contained.
From the first organization Of the Yer.
mont state board of agriculture to the pres
ent time this matter has received their care
full consideration, and the work already done
by them in protecting our farmers from
fraud intentional or otherwise) has received
the cordial sympathy and support Of ouI
more advanced farmers, as il has also the
hearty endorsement Of those in other states
laboring for the same end.
Below are given a few analyses OF fertil'
izers sold within our state, and each may for
himself calculate their market value, fol
of course no one would choose to pay more
for these several ingredients combined than
he could purchase them for in open market
separately.
1t will be seen that the valuable matters
in these several fertilizers vary from | 6-1C
per cent to 81 40 per cent the remaining
portion being lime, sand, water, and other
relatively worthless matters. 1t should b
remembered, however, that most Of the phos
phoric acid given under the head Of insolu
BILE, is not wholly SO, but is in the condition
of the returned or reverted ~phosphoric acid
the relative value Of which is at the best
a matter of doubt among agricultural chem
lists