Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-09-02

Several of the states have established |
departments of agriculture for variety |
of purposes, but the most important rune
tion of such departments Is the inspeehon
of commercial manures. Others have
simply appointed a state chemist Tor THIS
purpose Our own STATE Is among 'ns
latter, the Professor OF chemistry at
Delaware College being e1 oDlc~ the
inspector. In the STATES where
this system IL most fully carried
out, notably in Georgia, careful analysis
OF all commercial tertiiizers SOLD III the
state Is made OF samples taken from traoe
packages actually offered Tor sale, ana the
full analysis OF every brand rs puoiishea
and the relative value OF each Is given IN
dollars and cents for the guidance OF those
VINO do not understand the value from the
table OF chemical constituents. Inc sys-
TEN Is SAID 10 WORK well IN protecting
farmers ana planters from imposiuoh ny
dishonest manufacturers.
In our own State the system is defective,
because IL furnishes no cer'ain guarantees
of the actual character OF the fertiiizer
sold. Here the manufacturer SENDS 10
Professor Wolf sample OF the fertiilzer
for analysis, but there Is no guarantee
that il is of exactly the same quallty as
that put on the market, and there Is no
| provision made Tor securing the analysis
OF tue fertilizer actually soio except
phosphate the right to require an
analysis OF the Professor on the pay
ment to him OF tive dollars. Ihis Is q
small fee for thorough analysis, but,
small as it is, it is sufficient TO prevent
most farmers from having the test applied.
As consequence it is declared that many
brands OF phosphate are sold lar INFERIOR
IN quality to the sample OF the brand sent
TO the State chemist Tor analysis "hether
thls be true or NOT II IL eerthin that the
system gives opportunity ior such irauu
and that the provision Tor private analysis
docs not auoru an euectuai guarantee
|
against It,
A bill intended to provide some remedy
Tor TINS cond'tion OF ahaifs was ouereo III
tae last Legislature out 1t was aeieateo
uiacturers IN our own STATE lnese COL
slaereu 'he oi'i hheis' ny i's oper"tiohS'
10 ilJure tue'r oue'hess' en' oppoSe" II vi
inc plea 'hAt II was IN Tue in"res'S Vi 'n'
large manufacturers We are not lainiiia
Wild the PROVISIONS Vi tue proposeu act
but can see now II cou'u DC hiaue oufaei'
some 10 small manufacturers oy making
e the inspection Zee 10 large thai 'neir ousi
e ness could not ahora IT, ou
o we cannot see now such an amendment
the law as would pfoVide Tor the reguia
aud systematic inspection oil samples tron
phosphates and other fertilizers actual
!. offered for sale could work INJURY TO an
l. honest manufacturer small or large In
# people are certainly entitled to know tn
e relative value OF the VARIOUS iertiilzef
IS offered, and, having no means oil their ow
If of telling, except by actual experiment
it it is to their advantage TO nave rigid an
J. impartial inspection made by the State
IS 10 most matters we do not approve
Is state interference in business transactions
e but this is matter in which farmers car
n not well afford to trust to their own e.
ID parience. man who buys WORTHLESS
y manure not only loses the money he hi
to paid for it, but he loses portion OF th'
al years crop which would have been great
u had he purchased good fertilizer. Tn
lie is not only great loss to him, but Il
lie aggregate Of these losses is serio,
le matter to the State, as whole. 1t
IN calculated that about ten thousand tons
I'd commercial fertilizers are purchase
n, every year by Delaware farmers at pro
Id able cost of $500 900 and il any conside
at able quantity of this large amount
n, worthless or interior the direct loss on Il