The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-13
Why nro our FertiIiZers Analysed by
tho Agricultural Department After
~ they arc Put III tho Ground,

The statement has been made that
the fertilizers used by our farmers
are Analyzcd by the Agricultural
Department after they are put in the
ground. ls the statement true? 1t
is. Since this fact is admitted to be
true. it might appear. unless II good
reason can be assigned for it, that
this state Of affairs arises from in
competence or neglect on the part Of
the department. Is there good
reason for this? Let the reader fol.
low us carefully for q moment and
we think he will ayrco with us that
! there IL.
Samples Of fertilizers can be drawn
for analysis only in one OF two ways:
first, at the company,s works or, sec
ondsy, in the country after they have
reached t;.c consumer. IF these sam.
pies were taken ut the works, the pro.
lection sought to be given to con.
sumcrs by Til" analysis would not be
accomplished because it would be
easy FOR the manufacturers to pick
out their very best samples for analy.
sis, and these samples might not
truly represent the quality of the
wares they wished to place on the
community. If, on the other hand
the samples are taken in the country
after the goods have been delivered
to the farmers they are out Of reach
Of the manufacturer aud it is beyond
his power to alter or change them in
any way. The department has there
fore pursued the latter plan. The
manufacturers do not even know
where these samples will be taken.
They may be drawn at Greenville or
Beaufort, Darlington or Edgefield.
In order, therefore, to prove that his
fertilizers arc what they claim to be,
the manufacturer must send the
same quality to every point within
the State. AS soon rs the depart
lncnt inspector draws the sample he
nrmb"rs it and expresses it to the
commissioner Of agriculture, who dc.
livcrs it to the chemist Of the depart
mcnt for analysis. The chemist is
told what ingredients the fertilizer
is claimed to contain, and no other
information concerning the sample
is given him. He does not know the
brand or who the manufacturer is.
lie makes the analysis as quickly as
possible and reports the result to the
commissioner by the number of the
sample. The commissioner compares
this with the manufacturers state.
mcnt, which the law requires shall be
stamped on every sack for the in
formation OF the consumer, and he is
thus able TO tell at glance whether
the manufacturer statement is what
it has been represented to be. These
analysis arc published monthly in
the department reports 5,0O0to to 5000
copies Of which are distributed, and
with them the manufacturers state.
ments, SO that purchasers can see for
themselves whether or not the manu-.
facturcrs have sold what they claimed
to be selling. If the departments
analysis shows the slightest dclicicn-
cy in any essential Ingredient, the
brand SO deficient, and the ingredi.
cnts it contains, whether potash, am
monia or phosphoric acid are print
cd in italics by the commissioner so
as to call especial attention TO these
deficiencies.
AS the samples are not drawn un-
I'll the fertilizers have been shipped |
to the farmers and as the fertilizers
arc generally used soon after ship.
mcnt, it is impossible to complete the
analysis until after the fertilizers are
in the ground. BY this time then
the farmer has already used the stuff |
and he has no redress Yes, he has. |
The publication Of the analysis is |
begun in April and completed by
October, SO that the farmers have the |
benefit Of them before payment for
the fertilizers is due, and of course,
no farmer would pay for fertilizers
that the department. has pronounced |
fraudulent. In order to force the !
manufacturers to sustain fully what !
they guarantee every brand found |
deficient, no matter how slight, is
printed in italics. The plan pur
sued now has been found, after wears
Of trial, to be in all respects the most
satisfactory.
In addition to the official samples |
drawn by The inspectors, the depart |
ment will analyzc, without cost, any
samples that may be sent by farmers
in thv State, and the department has
advised all farmers to draw q sample |
Of their fertilizers when they are pur-
chased and ship it to the commissions
er, and, after the season is over, if |
the farmer has reason to believe that |
he has been imposed upon by the |
company. he has not only notified the
department and the sample he sent
will be ana yzed for him.
When the department began it's
work tl' re was large nrmbcr of
dealers who shipped small lots Of fer