The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-12-15
THE DURHAM RT1L1zER CASE.

ldSC week AS Ln6 case is now pfdctl-
cally out of court, we think it proper
to make some comments and give some
facts. AS it now stands the Commits
siOner failed to make out his case and
all the costs were put on the State of
North Carolina and the Durham Com
pany are vindicated.
The Durham Fertilizer Company has
been : yled Ian Alliance concern"
But as a mattor Of fact none OF the
Company are members of the Organiza-
ton. They make several brands Of
guanD. The North Carolina Official
Farmers Alliance GuanO" is one of the
brands. his guanO is made according
to a formula prepared by the State
Business Agent, Bro, Worth, assisted
by State Chemist Battle. 1t may be
mentioned in this connection that the
guano has given entire satisfaction for
two years. This formula was sent to
nearly every reliable fertilizer factory
in the country. Each and all of them
declined to make the goods or name
prices and agree to terms
The Durham Fertilizer Company was
the only one that did agree to terms
and make satisfactory prices. For so
doing the Company has been slandered
and prosecuted no little.
In the case just disposed Of the Com
pany was pulled into court for shipping
goods to Oxford untagged. No doubt
the Commissioner of Agriculture had o
right to seize the goods. Mr.. Geo. S.
Terrell, guano Inspector, testified be
fore the court that other companies
had shipped goods untaggei, but they
were put on before delivered. He
swore That he helped put tags on the
portion of goods seized at Oxford him
self, and that there was over 50 tags
left over after tagging all the guanO.
So it IS plain that the Board of Agri-
culture hid no more right to pro ecute
the Durham Fer ilizer Company than
it had to prosecute others that shipped
goods the same way.
When Col Robinson returned from
Oxford he was interviewed by the State
Chronicle. He said that the Durham
Fertilizer Company had failed to make
out its case" AS the cost III the case
was saddled on the State, it looks very
much like Col. Robinson "Jaiied to
make out his case" Furthermore it is
too much to expect the defendants 10
make out a case onyhow. The prose
cutor always should look after that
part of a case
In this case nothing 81 said about
the analysis AS the Company has
been abused a good deal on this score
and a great many crocodile tears have
been shed for the poor farmers who
have been and are being swindled by
the concern" we will give some facts
about that. In the agricultural BuL
Ietin for May, 1891, we find that State
Chemist Battle analysed three samples
of IN. G.. Farmers Alliance Official
GuanO." The guaranteed value of the
goods as filed is $17.j so per ton. One
sample was worth $17 60, another
SIS 81, the other $17. st. AS will be seen
G"O SGlIlDlCS "Cl1O aOONC liz SlAl AILNC
and one fell below. In the Bulletin for
June we have four tests made by the
State Chemist, as follows: $lS OS,
$15.O7. $17 80 and 413.7 Is. AS before the
samples varied considerably III value,
and at first glace it would appear that
there was too great a difference. But
after comparing the test made by the
State Chemist with other established
brands we are disposed to cling to the
opinion that the Durham goods have
held up as we'll, If not better, than
any other, many of h different
brands falling far below the average
made by the Durham goods.
The records furnished by the State
Chemist forf )ur years shows that some
of them went considerably above the
while others fell far below.
We suppose the reason more goods
have not been seized is because the
tests never average. 1t seems that the
goods enot mixed with care and agOod
article may at times show a value far
below the guarantee.
The following extract from the re
port of State B lsiness Agent Worth to
the State Alliance at Morehead City in
August will show these variations and
also show his contract with the Com
pany:
With regard to my contract made
with the Durham Fertilizer company
to manufacture the n. &. Alliance Off
cial Guano, l will say: In 1889, l made
a contract III good faith with that com
Dany, and 1t gave such general salts
faction to the brethren who used the
1OOA / rnno---A