Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-20
Agricultural


commercial terthrer..
The PENNSYLVANIA board OF agriculture e--
umatea THAT on au average. about oua-third
of o. ton of commercial fertilizers are used ON
each farm iu the state. AS none is used ol %
large number OF farms the average quantity
for those on which DO is used must ba large.
The board recommends buying guaranteed
fertilizers from responsible parties Under
our ermout law this ought not TO be difficult
though the number of manufacturers comply
ing with Dts requirements will be limited The
repor, of the board contains some valuable
suggestions on buying ana using commercial
fertilizers and we make extracts from it which
it viii pay TO read.
Twenty years ago the analysis as branded
on the packages, was as SO much Greek to the
average consumer Now tine consumer knows
be wants pnospnoric acid. ammonia and pot-
ash. and bis experience proves that tine guar.
antee of O. reliable manufacturer will give 10
TO him If be Us willing TO pay fair price for
3d. Each wear our farmers are learning more
ANA more of their wants and needs in this d.
rsctiou, and are learning to look more at
quality when backed by reliable guaranteed.
than price. Twenty years ago the farmer in
III measure bought bis fertilizer boy guess.
or IN O. hit-or-miss sort of style. which is now
giving way to the more enlightened plan Of
buying as nearly as possible what the land
needs
one of tine greatest drawbacks TO the Ir-
creased consumption OF fertilizers is tine mis-
taken demand tor low-priced goods. too many
consumers praferriug to buy hye tons OF -l.
per ton rather tuBn one ton q. ~5u-tlus. lu
In most cases. installing bulk for quality. for
30 may ue assumed. as rule. that the manu-
tacturer pr0dt is greatest iL the low-urict5
articles Manufacturers. III defense of what
they know TO be an injurious practice ANA Oh.
that hurts future trade, asser. that the CON
sumner wants these cheap goods. and that
if one manufacture does not supply them au
other will: and it is to supply this demand
and compete ia the market that some Of oar
mostrcAa-.e manufacturer. unwilling TO love
er the grade of their standard goods. have
placed in the market brands which can be sold
at lower prices ana on which IN mos. case
they make more profit
1t is useless 10 discuss the topic for the uur-
pose OF ascertainiuE vino is to blame Tor this
condition OF trade but we mus. admit t-at 30
exists and try TO nud some means 60 correct
the evil II tine consumer Will buy cu.v us
guaranteed analyses and OF reliable parties. .ug
evil vii. correct itself The consumer will
soon learn as the English farmer has already
done that the price Is not 90. material issue.
but that quality Is also an important iuteaar
~ the problem The price per ton ls no. i'm
portaut If tine analysis gives an sgug4'spI
value IN fact. if the analysis gives the equiv
alent the higher the price within certain linz
It's. tine better for the purchaser Iha. i-
one ton OF al article yielding so per cent Of
available phosphorus acid at euu per tol. De-
relatively cheaper than three tons OF a Iu per
cent article a, So per Ton Tor the consumer
saves two-lhiras OF the freight hauling and
hgudl.u- When the manufacturer buys DO.
OF material for his goods. he buys upon
guaranteed analysis that the goods viii c0u-
taiu e nXeu percentage OF tine exact material
or ngredieu. ne wants. ana the price is hxed
at so much per centum or unit. If the goods
DO not come up to tine guarantee. tie bargain
is oil or tie price per ton is reduced When
the consumer Gun buy III the same way. the
grade Of goods and the condition Of the trade
will improve rapidly. ANY reliable make
Will sci. his goods Oh u guarantee and the an
alysls forms gauge for tine actua. yalus of
the goods. Ii We are correct. then the RENE
cy is to buy only OF reliable parties ami Of
them only ou guaranteed analysis
Another change to be noticed in the trad,
Is the absence OF tie old-fashioned certificate
OF results attained Toy those who nave used
the article These have ceased to nave their
former value with tine consumer. and dealers
have IN great measure abandoned them IL
many. II not most, cases they were no doubt
honestly given, tut it is now well known that
Tie result OF one season, with one crop Is val
ueiess IN establishing the merits OF any article.
A iertlnzer may produce certain results this
season. and the same article .lust Us good in
all It's component parts may utterly fau nez,
year-Gll owing 70 difference III season. The
TACT as tie consumer Is now buying more on
TIE analyses ana business standing OF tho
manufacturer than ue used TO- and 10 nave
good standing is each year growing more and
more valuable 10 the manufacturer: hence We
OF their standard brands ana very careless o.
the erect of ground limestone ana cheap ma
rures in the market. and as q result we find
that while new candidates for public favor.
sold ct d low price, come up every Year. We.
they are known only for shor, time. while
the analysis of standard goods is tine same o.
formerly. with greatly increased sales. IL al
trades there are those who will purchase low
priced goods simply because they are low
priced but this does not materially AFFECT the
progress OF trade il the line OF better cood-
q. lair prices.
We cannot DetIsr illustrate The condition OF
which We complain and which We wish so
much 20 remedy than to use tine following
based upon our own observation A large
manufacturer Of fertilizers, pointing TO four
bags OF bone standing in his warehouse. said.
There are tour grades Of ground bone the
Ar5t two i viii guarantee under any penalty
We brand them a. pure, s5-. tuam as pure. and
MAKE very small prohJ on them The 9TH
l"o are not pure, ana We tell the cousulgt!
-9, but at the same time we tell him that the
ingredients added are valuable as a fertilizer
Without asking tine amount Of the auuitera-
uou or the per centnra of low-priced matte
added. The consumer viii ia many instance
take the lower grade at lower price. and yet
at a price which yields INC greater profit
II our State board viii direct ITS best effort
toward correcting tlis OWL, 1t will do the farm.
ere OF IAe state great good and, al the SAM
u-le' 40 much 10 raise the grade Of the a1s
r7oe fertilizer now in the market The stan
dara articles Will taAe care OF themselves. for
lu their makeup ana sale the credit of Relic
bic men is at stake but the difficulty is will
iue io"-graae goods, which mistaken polio.
on the part OF the consumer now demands
SonlHiissiOner A4oring Va. Prof. Collier.
When DE. George i. Loriug superseded
VIM. G.. Is Due as commissioner OF apricuI.
boz III