The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-20

DR.. Pollard, Commissioner OF Agricul-
ture, has prepared for circulation among
the farmers OF the State n report or letter Of
advice on the subject Of fertilizers sold in
Virginia, with twenty analyses made by
Professor w. Fl. Taylor, Of this city. "The
list is not major number Of the brands
sold in the State, but it was considered best to
send out these analyses now, as some guide
to the farmer in the selection OF fertilizers
to be used on the wheat crop and to COM
plete the others from time to tine as the
wants OF the fal mer seem to require, and as
the funds appropriated to sustain the de-
partment may SUFFICE"
The analyses were made under the direc-
ton of DIR. Pollard, as required by law, and
Gin the order in which the samples were
obtained, though all the brands Of each
company were not analysed, reference be-
ing made principally to those supposed TO
be best for wheat" 1t was thought best not
TO attempt money-yaluation OF fertilizers.
DR., Pollard's report contains vast
amount of information about fertilizers and
soils, and will be valuable work OF refer
ence for farmers. Any attempted condcn-
sation Of it would do it injustice.
Professor Taylor's report is as follows:
SIN presenting these analyses it is due to
myself to say that have made every effort,
by the use OF approved methods and by
care in manipulation, to secure correct re-
suits, and feel assured that they are fair
representations OF the samples as submitted
to me. 1t might happen that another chem
ist. working by methods Of analysis differ
ent from those employed by me, or by some
modification OF the manipulations OF the
same methods, would give results different
from mine. But this is almost inevitable
as long rs there are no methods OF analysis
which can be regarded as really standard
ones, and as long as there is no guarantee
that the samples analyzed by the several
chemists, and which are assumed to be
| Identical, are so in fact.
"Our State law requires the percentage
OF phosphoric acid soluble in cold water,
phosphoric acid insolube in. cold water,
potash, and soda, and available ammonia.
/ have determined these, and in addition,
| because Of their Importance, the prec!pl-
tated phosphoric acid and water. When
other constituents were claimed as essen
tial ingredients have estimated them also.
81 have every reason to believe as 10
nearly il not quite all OF these fertilizers
that the manufacturers have made an
honest effort to attain to what they
claim. That in some instances they have
failed is what we might reasonably eX-
pect when we consider the difficulty OF
dealing with such complicated mixtures ON
the large scale, and the variable value OF
the raw materials employed. 1t is, there
fore, but justice to them that the pur'
chaser should not hastily charge fraud where
there may be only welnigh unavoidable
failure OF a sincere endeayor.
"The Commissioner OF Agriculture has
and in my opinion udiciously-forbor1e to
attempt money-valuation OF fertilizers. A
chemical analysis does not furnish the full!
data for this purpose, and injustice would
very surely be done, which would be rem.
dcred all the greater by having the official
stamp upon it.
While l hope that these analyses will be
OF benefit to the farmer, at the same time
trust that they will be profitable to the
manufacturer by showing him wherein his
deficiencies consist. No doubt some manu-.
facturers will be disappointed at the dis
crepancy between what they believe theil
products should contain and what they
really do contain. Let them not, however
hasten to charge this to the incompetency oi
the chemist-a ready but usually untenable
mode OF accounting for these discrepan'
cies-but rather let them diligently seek to
| find il the fault be not with themselves.
WILLIAM Fl. TAYLOR, NJ. D.,
| estate Assaver and Chemist.
| "Richmond, Va, September IA, 1871"