Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-12-15
acIenfinc Agriculture.

The report on commercial fertilizers, by
Professor p. Collier, member Of the Scien-
lifc Commission of the United States TO
the International Exhibition at Vienna in
1873, has appeared, in the form of panph-
let of sixty seven pages, and is replele with
interesting matter. II gives large num-
Der Of statistics concerning the trade in fer
tlizers in Europe ana America, thOir
sources, character, value, and cost.
The report of Professor Collier comedies
fully with the common experience in Eu-
rope and in this country in showing that
there is a great deal Of fraud in CONNER
clal fertilizers that at the same time the
bulk Of what is in the market is good aud
that the only method TO prevent frauds,
enable the farmer to make sure of getting
reliable wares, and at the same time TO
improve the general quality OF tho wares
as sold, rests in control systems based on
chemical analysis.
The fertilizer control system introduced
in Connecticut by the State Experiment
Station is working very satisfactorily. a
considerable number OF low-grade and
fraudulent fertilizers have been examined,
and their character exposed. One article,
for instance, which had been sold for SOS
per ton, discount from the regular price
of SEQ per ton being made TO "introdnce
the article" proved 10 he nearly one half
sand, and TO have commercial value of
about IS per ton. Several parties who bad
bought and tried the article, on learning
the result of the analysis, refused payment,
considerable sum of money being thus
saved to the victims of the fraud. Arrange
ments are made whereby resi- onsibe deal.
ers sell their goods under supervision OF
the station, guaranteeing their compost
ton, and holding them at all times subject
10 examination by the station. Purchasers
have also the privilege of having tue fertil-
izers they buy analysed at tho station at
small cost or for nothing.
The important question as 10 the form of
nitrogen most suitable for the nutrition OF
plants has been studied by Lehman, who
has lately experimental with buck wheat,
maize, and tobacco, supplying nitrogen in
some cases in The form OF nilrates, and in
others in the form Of ammonia salts. He
concludes that some plants require ammo
MIA in their first period of vegetation, aud
nitric acid in the second, but that ammonia
may, by oxidation in the soil, produce the
nitric acid needed.
or the many new ways in vi ieh science
has OF late come to lie applied TO aGricul-
ture, one of the most interesting as well as
most eful is in the investigation of seeds.
In 1869 DR.. Noble, director Of the agricul-
tural experiment station al Tharaud, in
Saxony, commenced the study of seeds in
common use in Germany, and founded the
first "seed control station" How much
of good has come from this may he inferred
from the fact that during the seven years
that have since elapsed over 1000 samples
of seeds have been examined at Tharand
that adulteratiUns have been discovered,
most Ingenious in character, harmful in ef-
| feet, aud remarkable in amount, So much
50 as to work a by no means incousiderable
| injury 10 the agriculture OF the country
aud that some twenty seed control stations
| have been established in Germany, while
others have been either founded or project
ed in Denmark, Austria, Hungary, HUl-
| land, Belgium, and Italy. Among The
| adulteratiUns fund are old seeds that have
| lost their power of germiuatiug, seeds OF
| either useless or nUxious plants, sometimes
| killed and sometimes fresh, aud even pieces
orquariz rock, ground. sined, and colvred
| 10 initiate genuine seeds.-Hdrper Nag
| dzi1e for December.