The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1875-01-08
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS.

EDS. JoURNAL-It seems that my statement
Of facts with reference to the pecuniary condi
tit of some If the farmers in Cherokee conn-
t. who purchased Gulno on time and the allus-
ion that l should expose their folly, gave UNI
bragg to some of the guano fraternity, judging
from tie puerile display Of bad temper con
tanned in the little bunch of slang over the sig
nature of "Guano Agents" But L am glad to
know that the most respectable guano dealers
mite in denouucing the prepostrrons assump
tions OF "Guano Agents and regard it an out
rage on the ethical code Of Gnano men,
Therefore, must say to tho little "GuaEo
Quack," whose regard for the farming interest
is about equal to his regard for proprety, that
shall abstain from noticing him further than
to admit that he may have stumbled on to one
good idea when he asserted that the next Leg
isature should pass law to hang him and
will assure him that all his customers, WI o
have patronized him this season that | have
heard express themselves will give no opposi-
ton to the passage OF his law.
But Messrs. Editors, the object of this arti
Gle s to show from facts and figures the impo-
sition practiced upon farmers who purchase
the commercial fertilizers as now sold in the
market and to demonstrate the extreme folly Of
pounds.
To do this it is necessary to show the amount
and value of the elements Of fertility those fer
tilizers contain and which should properly fix
the value of the fertilizer.
The prices OF fertilzing substances in COM
mercial manures as estimated by the most cele-
brated agricultural chemists are for
Soluble Phosphoric Acid per 10. l2t ots.
Actual Ammonia per lb...,,,...--.25 cts.
Nitrogen in organic matterpe 10 10 cts.
Potash -------------- cts
According to analysis made by reliable and
distinguished Chemist OF one of tue most popu-
lar fertilizers sold in this market was found to
contain the following amounts in a ton together
| with the value of ton to the farmer.
1880 lbs water, so 90 per ID so 90
$50 lbs Actual Amonia .. % per II 2.45
1880 lbs Nitrogen organic mat. a o Is ID 292
4l00 lbs potash. 009 pei ID 0 -
60. 20 lbs Soluble PhQsphoie acid IL ID 8 40
2s7 go los Iusolable Phosphorlc acid 0.O0
Total value to farmer. .....$ 13 80
The above fertilizer is sold at 5000 per ton
including freights, and costs the farmer five
times what it is worth and involves a loss Of
$55 OIL. Now fair estimate Of the cost to the
manufacturers for grinding, bags, &c, is 8. so
per ton, to which add the value of the ftTtiliz-
ing substances Eio.n1 ahu we nave Tue com
merqial value S22,59 per ton,
We discover here the immense profit of over
300 per cent which the farmer is made TO pay
the manufacturers and "Guano Agents" How
long will farmers be thus humbugged7 How
long will they continue TO be hewers OF wood
and drawers of water for those who are prac-
tcing this terrible fraud and thereby growing
ing rich out of their Labor
J will state tha, BIG. Wilson and others in
Chyrokee county have purchased the crude
materials aud have done their own mauipulat.
ing. The result from fair test is that their
! fertilizer which cost from Sla00 to $500 per
ton proved to " equal to the best fertilizer
sold in this market, From these facts / am
prepared to assert that it farmers will exercise
intelligence aud practice economy in their sys-
! TEN Of fsrtilizing they will cease to purchase
those bogus compounds now offered for sale
and buy the crude material, do their own
manipulating and thereby save from 300 to 800
| per cent. They will cease to pay 3 cents per
| ID Tor 1900 lbs Of water aud other sppg,l saas
substances aud ireig'ts on the Sa0ls for hun
dreds Of miles ~ rysrr 80 get 100 lbs Of manure
! Thsy AL nnd that the 1890 lbs water ia Geor-
gia contains as much Of the elements Of fertility
! 81 IN Maryland. Pennsylvania or elsewhere
and the cry Of iogy by "Guano Agents will
not dossT them from looking TO their interests.
! T. N. ID.