Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-28
Commercial Fertilizers.

We have received Circular No. 20.
new series, issued by the Agricultural
Department of the State of Georgia,
being a report of analyses and values of
commercial fertilizers and chemicals in
spected, analysed and admitted to sale
in Georgia to the 10Th of February, 1882,
under the supervision of the State Com
missioner of Agriculture. This circular,
as its title implies, gives full statement
of all the commercial fertilizers sold in
the State during the season of
1SS1-82, the brands of such fertilizers,
their full analyses, the names of the par
ties by whom they were inspected and by
whom and where they were manu-
featured This is information of great
value to our planters, inasmuch as it, at
once, familiarIzes them with the various
fertilizers which have been introduced
in the State, and enables them to judge
of their respective degrees of excellence.
One of the most useful features Of this
circular, however, is that it contains
valuable suggestions to farmers as to
the purchase of fertilizers, and gives di-
rections which, if followed, will insure
them absolute safety against spurious
articles. We present these suggestions
entire for the benefit of our readers as
follows:
Farmers are advised not to buy any
fertilizer, or chemical for cOmpounding
or composing the same, n less it has
both the manufacturers guaranteed ana
lysis and the inspectors tag upon or at
tached to it; and all farmers are requested
to inform the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture of any case where fertilizer is sold
or offered for sale without having both
the guaranteed analysis and the inspec-
tors tag attached.
"Any farmer who desires to do so can
save a fair sample or any inspected
brand of fertilizer which he purchases
and have it analysed at the department
laboratory, if the following conditions
are complied with:
Il. The sample should be taken be-
fore any of the fertilizers is distributed
"a small quantity from each package of
the same brand; or, if large quantity is
purchased, from a sufficient number of
packages to fairly represent the whole
lot.
SO. Then very thoroughly mix (but
not grind or triturate) these small guam
titles taken from different packages, and
from the mixture fill common quinine
bottle, closely cork, and seal it with wax
80. Attach a label to the bottle, show
ing the correct name of the brand, the
name of the manufacturer, the guaran-
teed analysis las taken from the pack
ages and the name of the dealer from
whom the fertilizer was purchased
Also attach to the bottle one of the in
spector's tags found applied to the fer
tilizer.
II Let the above be done in the pres
ence of a witness, and the sample be
0laced IN the hands of a dislnterested
party for safe keeping until wanted
Then, after the crop is made, if the
farmer has reason to believe the fertilizer
was not such as it was represented to be,
let the sample be sent to this department,
either by the hand of some reliable dis
interested party, or by express, prepaid,
and it will be analysed without charge.
The above precautions are considered
necessary for the protection of the deal
er on the one hand, and to give to the
whole transaction that character of fair
ness without which the analysis, when
made, would be of little value to the
farmer.
"The commissioner is not required by
law to have samples Analysed for farm
ers, and ne trusts that he will not be ex-
pected to depart from the above rules in
any case where compliance with them
on the part of the person seeking an
analysis had been practicable.
By observing the above directions the
farmers can inform themselves thor
oughly beforehand of the true value Of
any fertilizer they may purchase, while
at the same time the dealer is equally
protected by them, since they only
require of him to comply strictly with
what he processes as to the article he
offers for sale. The course thus sug-
gested by Commissioner Henderson is
the only safe one to pursue, and if
adopted the complaints now made regard
ing commercial fertilizers will cease,
since the planters will always understand
exactly the merits of any brand they may
use or which is offered them for pur-
chase.