The Dawson journal., 1883-07-19
The Ray Fertilizer Bill.
Augusta Chronicle.

Augusta CHTOulClc.
The Introduction OF the Ray Fertilizer
Bill will have been of great service to the
fasmers of Georgia if it shall show up, as it
must have done the hollowness of all such
projected reform. The bill in brief pro-
Vided that farmers signing gueno notes
might not waive their privilege Of pleading
failure of considerations in settling up the
debt The evident effect although not the
object OF such measure must have been
to give planters or as many of them as
might have taken advantage of such thing
a chance to flank their guano notes and
evade in the fall the payment of their just
debts. The dealer who sells or the manu.
facturer who makes commercial fertilizer
can only affirm that his compound contains
certain ingredients in certain proportions
The mixture has been made presumably
under the experienced eye of a chemist and
has been calculated from long experience
in noting the effects Of certain plant food
with usual seasons and under favorable cir
cumstances. So far the dealer is bound to
conform, and to insure this compliancethe
law authorizes the State officers to analyse
each brand Of fertilizer to see if these con-
ditions have been fulfilled. Further than
this the law should not and cannot go 1t
cannot secure for the user guarantee that
the compound will be mathematicallv or
entirely beneficial in its application upon
certain crops or upon every soil. The
dealer should not be made chargeable with
the variations of season or with the pecul-
iarities of planting, and not being respon-
sible for these variations he should not be
made to suffer when a farmer comes up
and chooses to declare that his fertilizer
has ''done his crop no good" What more
can the attending physician do after dag
nosing the case than to prescribe certain
formulate which the pharmacuetist mu
faithfully compound? The exact effect of
that prescription upon the system has been
calculated, but cannot in every instance be
guaranteed. If the patient grows worse
AMI dies despite these remedies, Mr.. Ray,
of Coweta, and his friends would say that
the doctor and the druggist alike cannot
collect for their attentions and Prescriptions
because of Failure of consideration. The
law says that the physician shall have a
diploma from recognized scientific institu
ton, and that the druggist shall be licensed
under the laws of the State; but further
than this legal statute cannot be expected n
extend.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Ray will let
this matter rest. 1t is practical business
question which planters and men of bust.
ness may settle reasonably among them
| selves. A measure similar to this failed in
the Legislature of 1881, having originated
and fallen in the Senate. This time the
measure was introduced by Mr.. Ray, OF
Coweta, and came up ON the adverse report
Of the Committee on Agriculture. Exac t.
" what the substit ute was, the CnRoNI
Gle has not been informed. II lacked one
vote in the House of receiving bare ma
jority-not two thirds majority, as oui
Atlanta correspondent has it-bnt bare
majority of the House, and failed. The
measure OF Mr.. Ray was not change o.
law, but simply proposed new law. The
constitution povides that every bill to pass
the House must receive majority vote O.
all the members elected-not of those pres
ent. There are IT'S members of the Houst
and bill must receive SO votes before it
can be transmitted to the Senate or passed
Mr.. Rays bill received 81 votes, lac ing
one of constitutional majority.
Mr. Mcdonald, of the Georgia leg