The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-14
DIR. Cuttings Explanation of His
Report on Fertilizers.

hepOrU OH feTbllIZeTSs
notice in The WATERMAN, bearing
date April 30, you criticise me somewhat
about my comparative values of super
phosphates, etc. You say that good
deal more than make up to them what
Professor Sabin's methods of analysis
does not give. l do not think l make
up anything. l directly say that it does
not show the value limited to that price,
or that it will benefit at all. l would as
soon figure it at half as much, or double,
as it would make no difference in COM
parsons with each other, which was my
only intent. You say should compare
this with the asking or selling price.
That is impossible, as different locations
and freights and competition make a
wide range of prices for each kind.
Again, have drawn the samples under
difficulties. No agent cared to have them
drawn, and several were mad and refused
to answer any reasonable questions, so 1
could not use selling prices. About the
manufacture. There have been superphos-
pilates manufactured in Vermont that
assayed as much as any sold in this Sec
ton that-if can believe my eyes and the
chemist, and the statements of reliable
men-cost less than fourteen dollars per
ton. l am, however, aware that con-
venient location for material and con-
venience of making are necessary for
small expense. Yet this does not make
it true that that superphosphate is worth
but fourteen dollars. Neither does fgur-
ing up the plant food constituents, from
any standpoint, place an actual cash
value. That actual value can only be
ascertained, by each person using it,
through actual experiment. The Connec.
ticut Station publishes trade value" as
they call it, and yet say it is twenty per
cent too high. If you depart from trade
value, what difference about whether it is
twenty or forty per cent, when it is not
intended for actual value? In your state
ment from Professor Goessman you divide
the nitrates, which is we'll, but you have
total phosphoric acid 1886 per cent,
which some farmers suppose is to be added
to the other phosphoric acid statement,
making $25.12, which they suppose the
amount they purchase. Several manu-
facturers take advantage of this method
of writing it. These same men might be
misled by my figuring, or the figuring of
any price.
You say should take the average for
the guaranteed amount, as presented by the
manufacturer in his statement, but / am
informed by good legal authority that all
the law will compel is the smallest amount
mentioned. If take the average, almost
every manufacturer would be liable under
the law. AS l take the least, perhaps
none will be. The prices put upon am
monia, which is ourteen-seventeenths nj
trogen, was twenty cents as intended, but
was written or printed twenty-six, and
not noticed.
| do not take it that it is step back
ward to explain in clear manner, as you
are doing, all that the farmer is benefited
by, and if this explanation is not clear, /
thank you, as far as am concerned, for
the criticism. As regards Mr.. Bowker's
sample, will say he was slow to obey the
law, and a complaint even was mailed
against him, when he complied Just in
season to save suit. For this reason there
were more samples of his goods drawn
than the law required, and yet the analy.
sis represents the average, and Professor
Sabin can doubtless vouch for the accu-
racy of his analyses. All the analyses
printed, but three, show the average of
three separate analyses, and very shortly
the others will follow. shall print only
the averages from three analyses in flu.
ture, unless it be that it has not been
drawn from three places where such was
assayed. Trusting this explanation will
be satisfactory, close.
HIRAM A. CUTTING.
COMMENT BY AGRICULTURAL EDITOR
All our readers know the high esteem
in which we hold Secretary Cutting, not
only as man, but as an able, active and
efficient official. They will be assured
Gas we know that DIR. Cutting is) that we
have only criticised his report to bring
out the facts and come as near as may be